News
Bellevue Arts Museum Shuts Down
Aggressive fundraising campaign falls short
The struggling Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) has closed to the public. Its last day was Sept. 4. “Unfortunately, the financial model in the new building has never been sustainable and it has relied too heavily on ‘one-time’ big donors,” says Kate Casprowiak Scher, who was appointed permanent executive director early this year. “We are caught…
Lots of Questions About Nordstrom Merger Proposal
Deal calls for merger with Mexican retailer El Puerto de Liverpool
You’ve probably heard the news that the Nordstrom family, led by Erik and Pete Nordstrom, wants to enter into an agreement with Mexican retailer El Puerto de Liverpool to sell all outstanding shares of the company for $23 per share in cash, or $380 billion…
Bartell Owner Rite-Aid Exits Bankruptcy
Rite-Aid vows to become a ‘more efficient’ company
The owner of Seattle’s Bartell Drugs has exited bankruptcy with a plan to “rightsize” its store footprint. Rite-Aid, which purchased the 134-year-old Seattle institution for $95 million almost four years ago, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy last October after struggling for years. It has since closed about two dozen Bartell Drugs locations across the state. Philadelphia-based…
Microsoft To Grant $50,000 to 50 Nonprofits For Its 50th Birthday
50 for 50 program seeks ‘community champions’
Microsoft turns 50 next April, and the software giant wants to celebrate. The company will make 50 grants of 50,000 apiece to 50 local “changemakers” across the Puget Sound region “who are making a difference in the lives of their neighbors.” In a letter titled “Thank you, Puget Sound,” Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad…
Tutta Bella To Open ‘Evolved Concept’ Restaurant
The Denny Triangle location is ‘the first in a new generation’ of restaurants
Tutta Bella’s new Denny Triangle restaurant will feature fresh seafood along with its traditional Neapolitan pizzas as it pivots from a traditional pizzeria to a “more culinary diverse” restaurant. “Although Tutta Bella has been much more than a pizzeria for a long time, the new opening will make that very clear from a positioning standpoint,…
Bellevue Launches Sea-Tac Shuttle Service
Users can depart or get dropped off at five downtown hotels
Five hotels in downtown Bellevue are now offering a shuttle service to and from Sea-Tac International Airport. Cost is $30 plus tax. The effort is a partnership involving the Port of Seattle, Visit Bellevue, and Eagle Shuttle Service. Users don’t have to stay in one of the hotels to use the service. The hotels are:…
Shrinking Starbucks
Customer visits are on the decline. What’s going on?
Been to Starbucks lately? For a company that helped put Seattle on the global map, the coffee giant sure receives a lot of criticism, whether it’s about product quality, founder Howard Schultz’s bungling of the Sonics during his ownership tenure or wait times…
Sweetgreen Expands Again with Capitol Hill Opening
The fast-casual chain now has three Seattle-area locations
Clearly, Seattle loves fast-casual salads and customizable grain bowls. With two locations already in South Lake Union and Totem Lake, Sweetgreen is opening a third spot at 11th and Pine in Capitol Hill on Oct. 22. This new Capitol Hill location will be the first in the Pacific Northwest to feature the Infinite Kitchen —…