This regional pizza eatery plans Whatcom restaurant; baking company gets new space
Here’s a roundup of recent retail activity around Whatcom County:
▪ A state liquor license application was submitted to put in a new pizza place in Birch Bay Square. The business is called Sahara Pizza and the applicants are Thomas and Christina Wartinger.
Sahara Pizza has 15 locations in Washington state, two in Oregon and two in Bolivia, according to its website. It was established in 2002, offering traditional and gourmet pizzas. At several locations, contactless delivery is an option.
▪ The Hotel Leo, Amendment 21 and the Heliotrope Hotel have hired Columbia Hospitality to handle the management of the facilities.
The management agreement means Columbia will handle the operations for the Bellingham-based ownership group, led by Bob Hall, Peter and Amy Frazier and Jamie Verkist.
“We are excited to work closely with Columbia Hospitality to continue the genuine, locally rooted guest experience and operations philosophy that we’ve established over the years,” said Peter Frazier.
The Hotel Leo is a 56-room hotel in downtown Bellingham, while the Heliotrope has 16 rooms in the Columbia Neighborhood. Amendment 21 is a bar in the Hotel Leo.
Columbia Hospitality, which is based in Seattle, manages more than 30 hotels and resorts, including Semiahmoo Resort and the Fairhaven Village Inn. It also has a large portfolio of conference centers, golf courses and restaurants. According to its website, it employs more than 3,000 people.
▪ Antler Baking Company recently signed a lease for a space that will have a commercial kitchen and retail space.
According to a Facebook post, the new space is at 1301 Fraser St., in the Haskell Business Park. Owner Veronica Stendahl said the plan is to have the space ready by June. During the remodel Stendahl plans reduce the number of its custom orders but will continue to be at the Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturdays starting in April.
For further details about Antler Baking Company, visit its website.
▪ The Bellingham Signs By Tomorrow is moving into a new space. According to a Facebook post, it’ll be at 4655 Guide Meridian, north of Walmart, starting Wednesday, March 9. It is currently at 420 Ohio St.
▪ The Bellingham Athletic Club announced on its website that it will be closing its downtown Bellingham facility on Thursday, March 31.
In the post to members, owner Cathy Buckley listed several reasons that led to the decision to close the 1616 Cornwall Ave. gym, including flooding, lease issues, lower membership and issues with the homeless population that it couldn’t work out with the city.
In early April the downtown equipment will be auctioned off through James G. Murphy Co.
Meanwhile, BAC’s Meridian Street facility has been going through a series of improvements, including expanding the floor areas upstairs for group training and stretching areas. Buckley said they also plan on extending hours and adding other features.
