Ready to try out indoor dining at a Whatcom restaurant? Be sure to bring a jacket
Here’s an update on recent retail activity in Whatcom County:
▪ It would have been hard to fathom a year ago, but the hot new trend for Whatcom County restaurants these days is opening up doors and windows in the middle of winter in order to offer some limited indoor seating.
Several local restaurants detailed their plans on social media; ones that I spotted include Nopal Mexican Family Restaurant in Ferndale, Twin Sisters Brewing in Bellingham’s Sunnyland neighborhood, Leader Block Wine Co. in Ferndale and Our Diner, which is near Meridian High School.
All have said they took steps to abide by the state COVID-19 guidelines and will maintain 25% capacity limits. The most common advice given from these open-air restaurants is that even though they will try to heat the place, customers will need to dress warmly.
With its large, old windows and high ceilings, The Black Cat restaurant in Fairhaven is planning to open limited capacity dine-in service starting Friday, Jan. 29. General Manager Chevy Roberts said the combination of the large windows and high ceiling create the kind of air flow that meets state guidelines.
Once open, The Black Cat’s hours are 3-9 p.m. Monday through Friday, with lunch and dinner service on Saturday. On Sunday the restaurant will have brunch 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by dinner service.
▪ Meanwhile other establishments continue to upgrade their outdoor dining/drinking facilities. The Cabin Tavern recently finished its improvements on 307 W. Holly St. Along with drinks like a Mexican margarita called The Boot, the tavern offers a food menu that includes tacos.
▪ The Summit Adventure Park at 4329 Meridian St. is open at limited capacity. According to its Facebook page, the trampoline facility offers 45-minute sessions, and customers will need to wear masks in order to comply with state mandates. Further details can be found on its website.
▪ Life Force Ninja is planning to reopen on Wednesday, Feb. 3 with gym sessions in its new, bigger location.
The obstacle course/fitness gym moved to 4201 Meridian St., in the former Trampoline Zone space. At 18,000 square feet, the new space is about three times bigger than its former space.
While gym sessions are scheduled for Feb. 3, the full schedule of classes gets going on Monday, Feb. 8, according to an email from the company. As Whatcom County progresses into the next phase during this COVID-19 pandemic, the facility plans to offer a variety of other events. Details can be found on its website.
▪ Otherlands Beer announced on social media that it is taking a week-long winter break to catch up on some projects around the brewery at 2121 Humboldt St. The brewery will close on Monday, Jan. 25, and reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
This story was originally published January 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
