Popular Ice Cream Chain Salt & Straw Plans to Open Its First Eastside Location Next Week

Cold weather be damned, there’s going to be a new scoops shop popping up in Kirkland soon. Popular chain Salt & Straw announced it would open its first Eastside location at Totem Lake next Friday, November 20, the third outpost in the Seattle area following ones in Ballard and Capitol Hill that typically draw long lines.

The Portland-based franchise is known for a selection of crowd-pleasing flavors, such as Chocolate Gooey Brownie and Honey Lavender, along with seasonal offerings like this month’s Salted Caramel Thanksgiving Turkey and Sweet Potato Casserole with Maple Pecans. Since opening its first two Seattle locations in 2018, the shop has also introduced some ice cream options specific to the area in collaboration with Elm Coffee, Westland Whiskey, Beecher’s Cheese, Ellenos Yogurt, and other local businesses.

Totem Lake’s Salt & Straw will be the first free-standing building among the franchise’s shops, open for mostly to-go orders and pints, although there will be a covered outdoor space with a fire pit. It also joins a growing list of major restaurant chains descending on the neighborhood, particularly around the Village shopping mall, which announced that the California-based Silverlake Ramen would be coming this fall, along with Italian restaurant Due Cucina and gastropub Stack 571 Burger & Whiskey Bar.

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