Updates on Whatcom restaurants, breweries temporarily closed during COVID case spike
With COVID-19 cases hitting record levels in Whatcom County, businesses are starting to temporarily shut down, hoping that things will be in better shape in a couple weeks.
Here’s an update on what businesses are doing:
▪ Mambo Italiano updated its Facebook post to say that the restaurant will be closed for a few days, reopening on Thursday, Jan. 13.
▪ The Sunnyland breakfast spot HomeSkillet is closed because of the COVID surge, aiming to reopen on Thursday, Jan. 13.
▪ Boomer’s Drive-In, which typically celebrates Boomuary starting this month, has temporarily closed in order to get its staff tested. It has not announced a reopening date. Update: Boomer’s reopened on Monday, Jan. 10.
▪ Cascade Pizza announced on Facebook on Monday, Jan. 3, that it switched to takeout/delivery this week. The pizza place is hoping to bring back dine-in services on Friday, Jan. 7. Update: Cascade Pizza is continuing takeout/delivery for now.
▪ Both the Fairhaven and Sunnyland Filling Station restaurants have closed the dining rooms and switched to takeout only while case counts remain high.
▪ Bayou on Bay in downtown Bellingham is closed, possibly reopening on Tuesday, Jan. 11.
▪ The Galley Fish & Chips on Hannegan Road is closing the dining area but doing takeout sales until Saturday, Jan. 15, when they will reassess the pandemic situation.
▪ Amendment 21, the downtown Bellingham bar in the Hotel Leo, has decided to temporarily close until at least Wednesday, Jan. 12. Owners plan to re-evaluate the situation next week to determine if will reopen on Jan. 13.
▪ The downtown Bellingham coffeehouse Camber has decided to keep its dine-in services closed until Tuesday, Feb. 1, but will have takeout and limited heated outdoor seating.
Kitchen Manager Maple Nightingale said in an email that Camber closed the dine-in area on Sunday, Dec. 26, in anticipation of the pandemic surge and decided to extend the closure. Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. during this period of takeout/limited outdoor seating. Once dine-in is back, proof of vaccination will still be required.
▪ The downtown Bellingham bar Redlight announced on social media that it will shift to curbside and delivery service for the time being. Hours for takeout/delivery are 3-9 p.m.
▪ Nelson’s Market and the Marlins’ Cafe in the York neighborhood have decided to close in an attempt to “flatten the curve” of hospitalizations.
▪ McKay’s Taphouse and Pizzeria in the Sehome neighborhood plans to stay closed through at least Tuesday, Jan. 11, according to a Facebook post.
▪ Pepper Sisters plans to offer takeout only for the time being from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
▪ Boundary Bay Brewery announced on social media that it will be closed for the next 10-14 days, but will offer beer to-go.
“COVID-19 continues to tear through the service industry — and with the growing safety concern to our staff and community, we’ve made the decision to shut things down temporarily,” according to a Facebook post from the brewery.
The brewery is planning to provide some options for displaced workers, including training opportunities and other work projects.
▪ Mallard Ice Cream also announced that it is temporarily shutting down. In a social media post, the company said it plans on watching the number of cases closely as it determines when it will reopen.
▪ Aslan Brewing Company announced that it will be closed until at least Tuesday, Jan. 11.
▪ The Horseshoe Cafe announced on Facebook that it will revert to takeout only from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to allow for staff to get tested to make sure they are healthy and safe.
▪ Twin Sisters Brewing Company announced it remained closed until around Thursday, Jan. 20.
“Our main focus is the safety of our customers, our staff, and community. We apologize for this inconvenience,” the company posted on Facebook.
▪ Simmering Tava is closed, with reopening depending on how the situation looks in terms of the pandemic.
▪ Quicksilver Photo Lab announced that it is doing curbside pickup/dropoff until at least Saturday, Jan. 15.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 11:32 AM.
