A new cafe, a new salon and comics delivery coming to Bellingham
Here’s a roundup of recent retail activity in Whatcom County:
▪ Locus cafe is in soft-opening mode, with a grand opening on Saturday, March 21. The cafe is at 120 W. Holly St., near the Greenhouse store.
▪ The Blue Koi announced on Facebook that it has given up trying to convert the Bellingham National Bank space on the corner of Holly Street and Cornwall Avenue into a cafe. It will continue to finish work on its coffee lab nearby on Cornwall Avenue and will choose another site for the Blue Koi restaurant.
▪ With isolation and quarantine now becoming a thing and students not going to school through at least Friday, April 24, some local businesses are hoping to help make passing the time at home easier.
Village Books announced on Friday, March 13, that it is offering a price break on its deliveries. For a 99 cent fee the bookstore will deliver (through the mail) books, games and other products that might help drive away boredom around the house. There is no limit to the order, which can be done online or over the phone. The order usually arrives in a couple of days.
Co-owner Sarah Hutton said in an interview that they are ordering extra workbooks and other things to keep children busy and entertained.
In the first few days of the outbreak, Sutton said business in the Fairhaven store has been steady during the day, tailing off quite a bit in the evening. For now, they plan on keeping regular hours.
▪ The Comics Place announced on Facebook that it will deliver games and comics to your door. They take payment over the phone, disinfect before handling merchandise, and deliver within Bellingham’s city limits. Customers can also place an order online and can swing by the loading zone area in front of the store to pick it up.
▪ A new salon recently opened in downtown Bellingham. Parkway Modern Salon is on the corner of Cornwall Avenue and Chestnut Street, near the Neko Cat Cafe. Parkway is a clean air salon that offers non-toxic styling products and low-toxic hair coloring services. According to a news release, 95% of the retail line is plastic-free and they offer a shampoo refill program to help cut down on waste.
The salon is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information or to make an appointment, visit Parkway’s website, email info@parkwaymodernsalon.com or call 360-200-8621.
▪ As the community works its way through this coronavirus outbreak, be aware that businesses will be adjusting hours of operation based on staffing and cleaning procedures. Winco, for example, said on Facebook that various stores will close between midnight and 5 a.m. in the coming week for restocking and extra cleaning. Peoples Bank will temporarily keep its bank branches closed on Saturdays.
Just something to keep in mind when you do head out and about in the community.
▪ Herb’s Cider announced in a Facebook post that it is temporarily closing its tasting room at 1228 Bay St., near Camber. The company said they are doing this to minimize the risk of coronavirus exposure and didn’t think the ventilation system was adequate to do that.
“We take the health of our employees and patrons seriously,” the post from the company said.
