PCC Community Markets Plans Its First Fast Casual Restaurant Inside New Ballard Store

One upscale grocer hopes customers may want to sit and stay awhile. PCC Community Markets — which has 13 stores in the Puget Sound area — is about to open a new location in Ballard November 13 at 1451 NW 46th Street that features its first fast casual restaurant. The fancy co-op’s 25-seat, counter service venue will focus on local, seasonal seafood made to order, including dishes such as creamy clam chowder with bacon, red curry and lemongrass mussels, and a jumbo shrimp boil. It will also serve local wine, beer, and cider.

In addition to the restaurant, PCC’s new 24,000 square-foot store will have a rooftop deck with views of the Ballard bridge and an art installation that showcases a giant octopus mural from Seattle illustrator Kyler Martz, an homage to the neighborhood’s maritime roots. On the deck, customers can eat food purchased from PCC’s taqueria, pizza counter, and self-serve hot and cold bars.

With Trader Joe’s a few blocks away in Ballard, PCC probably picked a good neighborhood to pull out all the stops. The competition for grocery dollars in Seattle is fierce, with Whole Foods continuing its own expansion in the city and H Mart selling Asian goods in more and more locations. PCC just debuted a location in West Seattle and — after the Ballard outpost’s unveiling — it plans to open new stores in Bellevue, Madison Valley, and downtown Seattle as well.

• PCC Community Markets [Official]
• PCC Community Markets [Instagram]
• PCC Community Markets [Facebook]