Whatcom Roundup: Restaurant reopening; chain shop moves in; Bellingham preps for World Cup
Here’s your weekly roundup of the latest retail and restaurant activity around Whatcom County:
Downtown restaurant plans reopening
Starla’s Tavern, a natural wine bar and restaurant in downtown Bellingham, is planning to reopen next month after a temporary closure.
The restaurant closed in early January for a monthlong project, adding HVAC and a large pizza oven in order to expand menu items. No official reopening date has been announced, but according to an Instagram post, it will be reopening “tbd in early February.” Starla’s Tavern is located at 1149 N State St. in Bellingham.
New jewelry store location
Neeter House of Luxury, a jewelry store near Bellingham’s waterfront, has filed a building permit with the city of Bellingham for a potential new location. The shop is currently located at 21 Bellwether Way, and the permit for the new store at 40 Bellwether Way was filed Jan. 21. It had not been approved as of Jan. 24.
La-Z-Boy opens in Bellingham
A La-Z-Boy furniture store has taken over the previous location of Rite Aid in Bellingham, and is now open, according to its website. La-Z-Boy filed a permit for the retail space back in October, according to previous reporting by The Herald. The furniture store is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at 22 Telegraph Rd. in Bellingham, near Bellis Fair mall.
Bellingham named FIFA fan zone
Bellingham has been named as an “Washington State fan zone” for the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to a recent news release from the city.
“As a fan zone, Bellingham will air each of the six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches played in Seattle at local venues for exciting watch parties — including a game on June 19 featuring Team USA,” the news release states.
“Our community will also benefit from a portion of state and federal funding for security and small business readiness, and we’ll receive support to host fan activations and spin-off events activities to celebrate the spirit of the games. In addition to watch parties, you can expect other opportunities to join in the excitement — with more chances to watch matches from other North American cities; arts, culture and recreational activities; and tie-ins to existing local events,” the news release states.
This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
