Beacon Hill Is Losing MacPherson’s Fruit Stand

It’s been an unusually tough month for Beacon Hill establishments in the news. First Mutual Fish closed, and now MacPherson’s Fruit & Produce, a neighborhood icon on the corner of 15th Avenue and Columbian Way, has announced that it will be closing next month. It’s running a “going out of business sale” on many items as it tries to shed its inventory before closing on October 8.

In articles about the closure, MacPherson’s employees have cited the same economic conditions that have made business harder for many businesses. Manager Elias Benitez told the Seattle Times that the rising costs of produce made it hard for the shop to maintain the low prices it was known for. Bookkeeper Marilyn Dimalanta told the South Seattle Emerald that this higher overhead made it impossible for MacPherson’s to pay employees as the legal minimum wage rises and a labor shortage gives service industry workers more employment options.

Reportedly, founder Greg MacPherson, who moved his stand from Pike Place Market to Beacon Hill in the ‘80s, has decided to retire at the age of 75 rather than attempt to fight these market forces. However logical that decision was, it’s a blow to a neighborhood that doesn’t have a surplus of grocery stores.

The Chinatown–International District Night Market is no more

More bad news, sorry. The Times has more details on the end of the C–ID Night Market, which was announced last month by the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area, the nonprofit that runs the event. The market started in 2006 and was a pan-Asian celebration of food and culture, but according to the CIDBIA the organization had been losing money on the event and couldn’t find enough sponsors to cover costs. The Times reports that some community members wanted to fundraise to save the market, but the CIDBIA didn’t want to rely on last-minute, short-term funding.

Dick’s is gearing up to add an Everett location

The local favorite eat-in-your-car fast food chain Dick’s is continuing its expansion into the greater Seattle area, announcing last week that it had bought land on Highway 99 near Paine Field in Everett with the intention of putting its 10th location there. The press release noted that the purchase depended on “various feasibility studies” being completed and did not give an anticipated opening date. The last two Dick’s to open were in Federal Way and Bellevue.

Bake Shop is getting into the bar game

Bake Shop, the difficult-to-google Queen Anne bakery that has won hearts and minds with its terrific galettes and cinnamon rolls, is changing things up. It announced on Instagram this week that it was replacing its Pizza Fridays with a bar concept that will be open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 4:30 to 11 p.m. It’s going to cater to the folks who like some cake with their wine, or vice versa, though it will also offer some savory snacks and, for the Kraken krowd, will be offering $4 beers on every hockey game day. If you think about it, a beer is just a savory pastry.