Gaudi Is Closed, Tom Douglas Is Expanding, and More Intel

INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT—The building that houses one of Seattle’s top karaoke spots was sold in January. But Bush Garden co-owner Karen Akada told The Stranger only the Japanese restaurant portion of the space is closing on Saturday, October 29, while the bar and lounge area should be able to stay open for at least another year; in the meantime, Akada may begin seeking a new location for the 63-year-old business.

UNIVERSITY PLACE—If Pierce County and Chambers Bay Development reach an agreement on developing a resort hotel on the Chambers Bay golf course, mega-restaurateur Tom Douglas could open his first restaurant outside Seattle city limits. The proposal is still quite preliminary, but includes plans for a 200-seat eatery with spectacular views; Douglas told Seattle Met the place would be "very local and approachable" and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

SEATTLE—With 34 days remaining in its campaign to fund a cargo bike for a mobile bean-to-bar chocolate-milk operation, Bellflower Chocolate Co. is nearly halfway to its $7,000 Kickstarter goal. The company says that its chocolate bars, truffles, and nibs are easy to sell for retail and wholesale, but health regulations governing dairy products require an expensive bottle-pasteurization process for milk; instead, Bellflower wants to take its cold treat (or, in the winter, its hot beverage) straight to the customer. You’ll have to pledge at least $50 to get a chocolate reward.

RAVENNA—Thanks to a tipster for the intel that Spanish restaurant Gaudi has left the building after ten years. According to an announcement on the website, owners Jo and Juan Luna sold the restaurant and it shut down as of October 1. There’s no word yet on who is taking over or what the plan is for the space. The Lunas did not respond to requests for comment by press time, but did say on the site "hopefully we will be opening a B&B in Spain."

FREMONT—A reader spotted an expansion of Shawn O’Donnell’s American Grill and Irish Pub at 3601 Fremont Ave N. The company, which has locations in Everett and in Seattle’s Smith Tower, tells Eater it hopes to open the 120-seat all-ages pub by the beginning of 2017.