May 3, 2024

Today’s Forecast

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❤️ Show some love to these small biz owners

Red patio tables with bistro seats and umbrellas are scattered throughout Pioneer Square, flanked on the sides by old brick buildings and tall trees.

Pioneer Square’s late-1800s Romanesque Revival buildings are filled with art galleries, bars, boutiques, and more. | Photo by SEAtoday staff

Helping host 38 million guests a year sounds... a little daunting to say the least. This is why Visit Seattle created its Community Partnership Program — to help support the local biz that encounter these large swaths of tourists visiting our city each year.

As the program enters its third year, Visit Seattle has joined forces with Intentionalist + Alliance for Pioneer Square to select 12 small businesses run by BIPOC, women, and LGBTQIA+ Seattleites to be in this year’s cohort.

The Pioneer Square businesses were chosen due to their proximity to Lumen Field — which will host six FIFA World Cup matches in 2026 — to help get them ready for all that party headed our way.

Allow us to introduce you to the names and ideas behind some of Pioneer Squares restaurant and shops:

ʔálʔal Café | Owned and operated by Chief Seattle Club, this cafe reclaims and reintroduces traditional Indigenous foods in a modern setting — it also uses 100% of its net profit to support unhoused Native relatives.

The interior of Golden Roosters sports a yellow service counter, above which hangs a large projector screen streaming a polo game. Tables are spaced throughout the restaurant on flooring mimicking a basketball court. Extra TVs are mounted on the wall to the left, which are also streaming various sports channels. — Golden Roosters has lively interior and a bar tucked away in the back.
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Photo by SEAtoday staff

Golden Roosters | Soccer fanatic Sean Yoon runs this sports bar + Korean fried chicken joint with a 180-inch projector.

Lune Cafe | Owners Hamed + Karrar dreamed up this biz during their days at UW where they recognized a need for non-alcoholic, late night hang outs. The cafe creates savory and sweet eats until 10-11 p.m.

A plastic travel cup of matcha sits next to a slice of baklava on a white marble table, with menus and a pink neon sign reading "glow" in the background. — We tried Lune Cafe’s Purple Glow latte with a slice of baklava — that baklava will be calling our names from now on.
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Photo by SEAtoday

Nirmal’s | The restaurant’s core philosophy is to showcase the full diversity of Indian cuisine, representing various regions’ influences on popular South Asian dishes.

Drunken Pizza & Pocha | This Asian- and Woman-owned restaurant serves up Korean street-inspired dishes and artisanal pizzas — plus soju, beers, cocktails, and more.

Foggy Tea Shop | The Japanese-, Native-, and woman-owned shop brews a variety of teas + hosts regular community events with artists, musicians, and more.

6 more minority-owned spots

Pop Quiz

Approximately how many species of rhododendrons exist?

It’s peak blooming season for these spring beauties. How much do you know about Washington’s state flower?

A pink rhododendron blooms amongst a sea of green leaves. — “Rhodies” come in all sorts of colors like red, pink, and purple.
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Photo by SEAtoday Staff

A. ~500
B. ~850
C. ~1,000
D. ~2,000

Prove your rhody recall

Events

Friday, May 3

Candlelight: A Tribute to Arctic Monkeys | Friday, May 3 | Times vary | Arctic Club Hotel, 700 Third Ave., Seattle | $40 | Bangers like “I Wanna Be Yours” and “Fluorescent Adolescent” take on a new, haunting quality when performed by a quartet.
“The Lehman Trilogy” | Friday, May 3-Sunday, May 19 | Times vary | ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., Seattle | $74-$89 | The Tony Award-winning production comes to Seattle with the story of three Jewish brothers who arrive in America for the first time in 1844.

Saturday, May 4

Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration | Saturday, May 4 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle | Free | Check out lion dances, drill team exhibitions, eating contests, hula performances, and lots of great food.
Spirit Chief Names the Animal People | Saturday, May 4 | 11 a.m. | Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle | $20-$25 | Based on an Okanagan story, the Seattle Symphony play along as the coyote, the bear, the salmon, and the eagle petition for names and powers from the Great Chief.
1960s-80s Alternative Film Movement in Belgrade | Saturday, May 4 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle | $7-$14 | Check out a selection of works produced by the Academic Film Center, one of the most celebrated film clubs in Yugoslavia.
Spring Migration Bird and Wildlife Walk | Saturday, May 4 | 4-6 p.m. | Discovery Park, 3801 Discovery Park Blvd., Seattle | Free | Take a stroll with Seattle Parks + Rec Environmental Education staff to learn about migratory birds, native plants, and spring blooms — registration required.

Sunday, May 5

Cinco de Mayo Celebration | Sunday, May 5 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | El Centro de la Raza’s Plaza Roberto Maestas, 2524 16th Ave. S., Seattle | Free | Celebrate the holiday with live music, children’s activities, vendors, and plenty of Mexican food to go around.
Mountain Dog Meetup | Sunday, May 5 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Dog Yard Bar, 1546 Northwest Leary Way, Seattle | $0-$16 | Bring your big floof to romp around with other Pyrenees, Swiss, Formosan, and Bernese pups — mixes welcome.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Transit

The Washington ferry system’s peak-season surcharge took effect on Wednesday, May 1. Vehicles are now charged 25% more on routes, with only a few exceptions where fares increase by 35%. This pricing will continue through September. (Seattle Times)

Biz

Microsoft President Brad Smith and wife Kathy Surace-Smith just became minority owners of the Seattle Mariners. Their share purchase marks the first addition to the partnership group since 2021. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Traffic

On specified weekends May-September, portions of Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed to vehicles for Bicycle Weekends. On the selected weekends, closures will last from Saturday at 10 a.m. until Sunday at 6 p.m. — the first one is for scheduled for May 18 + 19.

Real Estate

Mill Creek Residential purchased Kirkland’s Tech City Bowl property for $26.25 million. A mixed-use apartment build with 369 units, 6,700 sqft of retail space, and underground parking is slated for development. Tech City Bowl’s last day of operation will be Saturday, May 18. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Tech

Korean battery pack company CTNS is looking to open a manufacturing center in the area to expand operations. They’re eyeballing the Snohomish area as a lead contender due to its access to the aerospace industry and support from local government. They currently have only five employees based in Seattle. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Cause

Looking for opportunities to get involved or give back to our beautiful Emerald City? Seattle Pride is looking for volunteers for this year’s Pride in the Park and Pride Parade. Volunteer roles include set up and break down for events, movers, staging, and more. If we’re barking up the right tree, sign up online.

Giveaway

It’s National Small Business Week, and Intentionalist is amplifying some special Seattle gems with free items and offers. Scroll through what’s available + redeem the pass perks in store. You have until Sunday, May 5 to cash in on the goodness + support local.

Plan Ahead

Seattle Parks and Rec just dropped info for the Beacon Hill Festival, landing this year on Saturday, June 1, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at Jefferson Park. The event features live music, food trucks, and free pottery, painting, and gardening classes.

Drink Up

Drink Up Week — our annual celebration of City’s vibrant beverage culture — is coming July 22-July 26. If you’re a local business, you’re going to want to get in on the buzz. Be our exclusive presenting sponsor and advertise your brand with us during Drink Up Week.

Sports

Which offensive and defensive players will benefit the most from the Seattle Seahawks’ newest draft crop? Hear what local experts have to say on the matter with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.

Sports

⛵ May the best boat win

Places to view the races are open all along the Montlake Cut. | Photo via Windermere Real Estate

This year’s Windermere Cup is about to rock the boat. On Saturday, May 4, the annual regatta will kick off its big day for Seattleites and rowing teams around the world.

Initially founded in 1987 to show off the Montlake Cut as an ideal rowing location, the event also has some extra historical significance this time around — an international rematch that’s been 88 years in the making (if you watched the “Boys in the Boat,” you’ll know what we’re talking about).

This year, the Italian National Rowing Team visits Seattle for a rematch after the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where the UW rowing team faced off against Italy for the gold medal — a story depicted in the George Clooney film released last year.

Join in on the fanfare + witness a snippet of history in the remaking.

Check out the schedule

The Buy

Ingredients for a perfect margarita. Try the Simple Times Mizers Margarita Bundle to get a taste of something new, like the Strawberry Safe mix.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Madeline

From the editor

Does anyone else get dramatically humbled at trivia nights, or is that just me? 🫠

The thing is — if it was an open note quiz and I had all of our SEAtoday articles on the table, I think I’d kill it. So maybe it’s my recall skills that need some brushing up... Hmmm, more newsletter pop quizzes perhaps?

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