Quick version: Our lease is ending in October and we’ll be moving to the Central District near the intersection of Dearborn and Rainier, a little north of Exit 3 north on I-90. Currently we plan on moving in October with a week or two of closure. Wanna help? We’ll have a Moving Sale in September; or come by and buy things before that so we can have cash for renovations and moving!
Also please come buy commercial kitchen equipment.
Okay here’s the long version…
What?
We are moving! We just secured a commercial space in the Central District near the intersection of Dearborn and Rainier (yes, we’ll be a block away from Slightly Furry :3) and we’ll be moving there before our lease is up in October. We’re super excited because this new space will be better configured for events!
This is the simple part, so let’s get to the complicated part…
Why?
Okay I’m going to start saying I instead of We, because this is Wing the business owner speaker and not Outsider the business.
The short version is that our lease is coming up in October and, to put it bluntly: we can’t afford Fremont rent, especially since we’re not getting the pedestrian and tourist traffic to justify it. This has been an issue ever since I became involved with the shop in 2022. While the block we’re on is getting busier than ever it’s all due to new and existing nightlife venues and that’s not something that really aligns with what we’re doing. There are definitely small businesses that can thrive in this environment but a comic shop that doesn’t pretend COVID is gone is not it.
Our lease running out has been something that’s, well, known. Like, it’s literally on the lease. We explored quite a few options, but ultimately we ended up deciding that moving south is the best thing for us for the long term. We’ll be paying significantly less per month that should more than offset the decline in foot traffic, and we’ll be in a much better position for transit—many of our regulars have said that taking the bus to Fremont is not fun, and the Judkins Park light rail station should be opening “soon”.
When?
Right now we’re waiting on contractors and permits and all that, but we’re anticipating to move some time in October. We will be running Moving Sales during September and we’ll also be selling some/many of our fixtures! If you know a retail or bookstore owner, tell them to keep an eye our on our socials!
Speaking of sales… one reason why we got a deal on this space is because the previous tenants left everything there and we’re gonna be selling off a literal ton of commercial kitchen equipment this and next week. We’re going to have a garage sale on Monday so come check it out!