A new restaurant and lounge is planned for downtown Bellingham as others close
Here’s a roundup of retail activity around Whatcom County:
▪ A state liquor license application for a restaurant/lounge was submitted to put in an establishment at 121 W. Magnolia St., near Taco Lobo. The proposed name is Brimstone and the applicants are Sean McKee and Hannah Schooler.
▪ The Nelson’s Market and Marlins’ Cafe property was recently listed for sale. According to the RE/MAX listing, the sale includes the businesses and the building, which includes a residential area on the second floor. The restored building was originally built in 1895. The asking price is $1.75 million.
▪ The MIX restaurant on Holly Street closed last month, but it is a temporary closure according to Owner Helen Neville. In an email she said she decided to close the downtown salad and sandwich eatery in order to make some changes based on customer input.
These changes will be different than the concept at Barkley Village, which is still MIX but with an expanded menu that includes breakfast, Neville said. The Barkley Village spot at 2925 Newmarket St. is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday.
Details about MIX can be found on its website.
▪ Following up on the closure of Primer Coffee earlier this week, co-owner Charles Hanson said that while they had a fiercely loyal group of customers for their unique offerings, it was not enough to sustain a business with the high costs of goods and staffing.
Moving forward, the owners of the space are looking for something that complements nearby Elizabeth Station at 1400 W. Holly St. and adds value to the neighborhood, Hanson said in an email.
“Much of Elizabeth Station’s success has been the thorough listening to customer feedback and allowing the community’s influence to shape what we are,” said Hanson, who also co-owns Elizabeth Station.
Primer Coffee closed on Tuesday, Sept. 3, after more than two years of operation.
This story was originally published September 7, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
