A national chain is adding a store in north Bellingham; plus updates on local restaurants
Here’s a roundup of recent retail activity around Whatcom County:
▪ LL Flooring, formerly known as Lumber Liquidators, is putting in a store at 145 E. Stuart Road, near Walmart. The company has stores throughout the U.S., with the closest ones to Bellingham in Mukilteo, Shoreline and Bellevue.
According to its website, the company rebranded to LL Flooring in April 2020.
▪ SconeGrown announced on social media that the last day its bakery will be open in the Granary Building is Sunday, Aug. 28. After it closes, the owners will transition some of its bakery items to its restaurant Quantum Leaf, which is in The Herald Building on North State Street.
▪ Following up on last week’s announced ownership change at Fairhaven Poke, new owner Diana Douglas said in an email that after the eatery closes on Monday, Sept. 5, she plans to reopen it on Saturday, Oct. 1.
The temporary closure will give Douglas time to get all the necessary permits squared away. She doesn’t plan to make any changes to the recipes but may make some minor upgrades to the restaurant itself.
Douglas, who has been the restaurant manager since Fairhaven Poke opened in the summer of 2016 at 1102 Harris Ave., decided to take over ownership after the current owner, David Jacobsen, announced he was closing it to explore other pursuits.
Asked what she has enjoyed the most, Douglas said she’s been really heartened by the customer support during this transition.
“To know we have created something special here that our community is willing to show up and show us love with us closing has been such a warm and amazing feeling,” Douglas said.
▪ Evolve Chocolate announced on its website that it is permanently closing its downtown espresso and provisions store on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Its Fairhaven cafe, which is in the Village Books building, remains open.
The downtown store opened in the Hotel Leo building in September 2020.
▪ While Magdalena’s Bistro & Creperie in Fairhaven closed on Tuesday, Aug. 2, owner Magdalena Theisen is planning to continue making pierogies for pre-order. Visit the restaurant’s Facebook page for details and updates.
▪ A Bellingham building permit application was submitted to put in a medical office at 305 Telegraph Road, near the Mi Mexico restaurant. According to the application, the medical office is called Sound to Summit PT.
▪ BigFoot Java, a drive-through coffee stand near Sunset Square, will be closing for good at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 10.
Paige Spore, manager of the Sunset BigFoot Java stand, said the lease was not renewed. BigFoot opened in that spot 17 years ago. She wanted to get the word out so regular customers could swing by and say goodbye in the final few days.
Spore, who has been at that stand for about eight years, added that a majority of the staff will be transferring to the Mount Vernon and Burlington BigFoot locations.
