This popular Seattle eatery is expanding to Bellingham, expects to be open in early summer
A popular and growing Seattle-area eatery is making its way up to Bellingham.
Zeeks Pizza, which has 18 locations in the Seattle and Tacoma area, will be opening up a spot in Bellingham’s Fountain District in the late spring or early summer, said President Dan Black. The Bellingham location will be at 2416 Meridian St., in the former home of 122 West Brewing and, earlier, Melvin Brewing.
Black said they’d been working on getting a Zeeks into Bellingham for a few years, not only because it’s a perfect fit for the Pacific Northwest outdoor lifestyle, but because they have close ties with the local brewery scene, including partnering with Aslan Brewing on projects. The decision to come to Bellingham was finalized when the Meridian spot became available.
The Bellingham location will be operated by franchise holders Brady and Cindy Scott and Matt and Julie Stotts. They all went to Western Washington University, graduating in the early 1990s.
“Every Zeeks we have been to is a community gathering place. That is what we want our Zeeks in Bellingham to be – a place where family, friends, kids and neighbors can all be together,” Cindy Scott said in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
Once open, Zeeks in Bellingham will have a taphouse feel — in fact the “PNW Taphouse” name is already added to the readerboard. Along with the local craft beers Whatcom residents might be familiar with, Zeeks will also collaborate with breweries, creating special “Zeeks Beers” on tap to try out.
“An important thing for us is that Zeeks is a Northwest company and it is committed to the local economy and the communities it is in. They franchise specifically so ownership can be local and they are already partners with most of our favorite beer makers in Bellingham” said Brady Scott.
As for food, Zeeks main theme for the pizza is “Northwest,” which Black describes as focusing on enjoying the flavors, farms and craftsmanship of the area. The hand-tossed dough is fresh, and the menu also has salads and desserts.
Since it is unclear what eating out during the COVID-19 pandemic will look like in late spring/early summer when Zeeks opens, they are working on outdoor seating arrangements and making sure the delivery/takeout systems are in good shape.
Black said the bulk of their sales is takeout/delivery at its other restaurants, adding that they became known for beer deliveries as well. With the pandemic, deliveries increased even more.
“We’ve never thrown (pizzas) faster than we have during this pandemic,” Black said.
As for the company itself, Zeeks is in an expansion period. It is looking at adding a second location in the Bellingham area and is also looking at areas like Spokane and Portland, Oregon. It’s also getting national recognition, including recently being listed as one of the favorite pizza places in Washington state in a February 2021 HuffPost article looking at Google search data.
For details about the company, including updates on Bellingham’s opening day, visit its website or Facebook page.
This story was originally published February 27, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
