A cosmetic store is leaving Bellis Fair, a cafe is making plans for north Bellingham
Here’s a roundup of recent retail activity in Whatcom County:
▪ Sephora is planning to close its store that’s inside JC Penney at Bellis Fair by the end of the year.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed plans for the closure, noting that customers can continue to shop for Sephora products online, while the nearest physical store is in Lynnwood.
Sephora opened the 1,500-square-foot space in June 2016, around the same time competitor Ulta Beauty was going into the mall.
Sephora’s partnership with JC Penney is ending this year and has entered a similar partnership with Kohl’s. There’s been no announcement yet about whether Sephora will go into the Kohl’s store at Bellis Fair, but Kohl’s has been busy adding Sephora stores throughout the U.S.
▪ A building permit application was submitted to put in a new cafe at 4252 Cordata Parkway, Suite 100, in the retail center near Whatcom Community College. The proposed name for the new business is Maple Bar Cafe.
▪ Mambo Italiano in Fairhaven has filed a building permit application to put in a new prep kitchen and bar.
▪ Many times when I write about a beloved restaurant or cafe that closes, I’ll hear from readers expressing regret, that if they had known the business was facing possible closure they would have made sure to support it. That was on my mind when I read Pepper Sisters’ Facebook post.
The July 13 post talked about what challenges the restaurant, which has been around for nearly 34 years, is facing to maintain profitability. Like all restaurants it was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but “rising material costs, staffing volatility, downtown safety issues, competition with other awesome restaurants, and more, have made running a profitable restaurant difficult.”
In terms of help, the post merely asks that those who have enjoyed eating there over the years but haven’t dined there in a while to come and visit. The restaurant is at 1055 N. State St. and is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
▪ A building permit application was submitted for a new optometrist office at 4110 Meridian St., which was formerly a bank branch at the Bakerview Road intersection.
This story was originally published July 17, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
