Retail roundup includes a second Ruckus Room, more Bellingham restaurant reopenings
Here’s a roundup of recent retail and restaurant activity around Whatcom County:
▪ The Ruckus Room Arcade will soon have a second location in Bellingham.
The second arcade will be opening at Bellis Fair mall near the Target store in January, said Collin Toplski, who owns Ruckus Room with Emmalyn Smith. The first Ruckus room opened on Railroad Avenue in 2017 in the downtown district.
The second arcade will be larger, which means more room for pinball and arcade games. It will also have seating for 36 and be available for birthday party events. Details can be found on the Ruckus website.
▪ Cash Day is back at the Jalapenos and Luna Bistro restaurants.
For those unaware of the tradition, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (this year it’s Nov. 24), all three Jalapenos restaurants in Bellingham as well as Luna’s Bistro will knock 50% off the bill for those who pay in cash as part of a customer appreciation day. That includes drinks. Owner Jesse Cantu said for those who want to avoid the crowds on that day, coming in between 1-4 p.m. is usually the quietest time.
Speaking of Jalapenos, Cantu said things are moving along for the fourth Bellingham restaurant, which is going in at 4451 Meridian St., near Walmart. At this point, Cantu is expected the new restaurant to be open in the first week of December.
▪ After taking a break in October, Wake ‘N Bakery in Glacier announced it was back open for the winter season. According to its Facebook page, hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.
▪ According to the Sudden Valley Views newspaper, the El Agave restaurant near the Sudden Valley golf course will temporarily close on Wednesday, Dec. 1, for some plumbing repair work. Given the unknown extent of the work needed to be done, it is unclear how long the restaurant will be closed, but the initial tear-out phase is expected to take at least two weeks, according to the article.
▪ Goji Bistro announced that it is reopening on Wednesday, Dec. 1, for takeout.
The restaurant, near Whatcom Community College at 4260 Cordata Parkway, expects to have dine-in services available soon after reopening. The restaurant recently went through some management changes as well as a remodel, according to its Facebook page.
▪ Latitude Kitchen & Bar near Sunset Square reopened for business earlier this month, serving breakfast and lunch. It also reopened its drive-through window for quick service.
▪ A sign permit application was submitted to the city indicating that a Pizza Hut is going into 4285 Meridian St., in the former La Chapina space near Best Buy.
This story was originally published November 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
