Whatcom owner finds success in creating a virtual, takeout-only restaurant
Here’s a roundup of recent retail activity around Whatcom County:
▪ Brian Poag has come up with an interesting way to keep going as a restaurant owner during this pandemic.
Poag, co-owner of Jake’s barbecue restaurant in Lynden, decided he needed a new way to address the restaurant restrictions, so he created a virtual restaurant focused on takeout food and delivery. At the end of September he opened Underground Burgers, which has become a hit in the Lynden area.
The idea was to create a simple, low-cost menu that only focused on takeout and delivery. The menu is basically burgers, waffle fries and soda, with Poag’s employees providing delivery in a five-mile radius of Jake’s. Underground Burgers is more streamlined than Jake’s, which continues to offer its more elaborate barbecue plates as it alternates between dine-in and takeout, depending on where things are with COVID-19 restrictions.
The roll out of Underground Burgers was low-key, with a few Facebook posts and a one-page website, Poag said in an email. He told the food service website Cambro that on a Sunday they announced they were opening on Tuesday. When they got started on that Tuesday, they had 50 online pre-orders.
Will Underground Burgers stick around after the pandemic has passed?
“That is a very tough question to answer. I have learned a lot during this pandemic, for sure, and probably the biggest lesson is that I really have no idea how or when this ends,” Poag said in the email. “I do know that I am going to fight for my business and my team. I also know that Underground Burger has been a big hit and we continue to explore how to make it better.”
▪ A state liquor license application was submitted to put in a restaurant/cafe at 2430 James St., in the former Over Easy restaurant space near Trader Joe’s. The proposed business name is Thai Maison and the applicant is Arausha Lekhayananda.
▪ Edaleen Dairy announced on Facebook that the Fairhaven store will take a winter break and be closed until March. The store, which focused on ice cream and milk products, is on 10th Street near the Village Green.
▪ Also taking an extended break is Cicchitti’s pizza food truck, which announced on Facebook that it will be back in the spring.
▪ While many events were put on pause during this pandemic, one that is back is Boomer’s Drive-In’s Boomuary anniversary sale. Customers can order any burger on the menu for $3.19. The sale starts Tuesday, Jan. 5, and goes through the end of February.
Being a traditionally popular event, Boomer’s recommends ordering online and prepaying, as well as ordering at off-peak times for those who want to avoid the extra wait time. Peak times are usually the lunch and dinner hour.
▪ Covered outdoor seating construction continues to happen in Bellingham as an alternative dining experience during the pandemic. A big covered area was recently completed near Mallard Ice Cream on Railroad Avenue. Stones Throw Brewing in Fairhaven recently submitted a permit application for a covered seating area.
This story was originally published January 2, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
