Bellingham’s Terra Organic is closing. What do Public Market businesses plan to do?
Most of the tenants at the Bellingham Public Market plan on staying in business, but are not sure where.
The announcement Wednesday that Terra Organic & Natural Foods is closing has an impact on the other tenants that occupy the Bellingham Public Market at 1530 Cornwall Ave. Terra is the main leaseholder to the building, so the options at this point for the seven other tenants is to either close or move to another space.
The remaining business owners are hoping a third option develops: That someone else takes over the main lease, allowing them to stay.
Mulu Belay and Billy Chen really hope it’s option No. three. Belay operates Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine and Chen runs Maki Zushi. Belay, whose cuisine was well-known at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market for years, made a large investment more than three years ago to build a kitchen and open at the Bellingham Public Market. Moving out would mean losing some of that investment and having to start over somewhere else.
“I don’t know if I can go out and build another one,” Belay said, referring to the space. “This is a great place; I don’t know why someone would not be interested in taking over (the lease). It has great parking and is right next to a bus stop.”
Chen agreed, saying he enjoys the current tenants and the regular customers that frequent the market.
Michele Sanger, owner of the Living Earth Herbs store, said she is waiting “for more pieces to fall into place” before making a final decision. She’s also hopeful that someone will take over the main lease.
“We are thriving here at the market,” Sanger said.
Kara Marklin, owner of the Electric Beet Juice Co., is also weighing her options for the business. She would like to stay in the downtown area, adding the business has consistently grown since opening at the market in 2014.
Wild Whisper, the cafe in the center of the market, will eventually close as owner Wendy Olinger plans to travel to build awareness of the Wild Whisper brand. Her focus is creating restaurants/cafes that are ocean-friendly, which includes eliminating as much plastic as possible in the cafe industry.
Dave Jackson, who has operated Mt. Baker Books inside the market for 11 years, said he is looking for a small space to sublease, possibly sharing space with a coffee shop. If that doesn’t happen, he plans on closing the store and working his online business, mtbakerbooks.alibrisstore.com.
Film is Truth announced earlier this month that it is moving to 1418 Cornwall Ave., sharing space with Allied Arts and The Pickford Limelight.