John and I are sad to report that our vision for Bar 19 cannot be realized.
We hit a hurdle with the health department requiring a kitchen that was larger than our original plan, which, in turn, would have caused a whole other litany of financial hurdles for us that we neither planned nor budgeted for. While we did plan and budget for some unforeseen issues, the workaround was one that would sap enough money to make the project impossible for us. Our designer Brad Khouri (www.b9architects.com) and builder Graham Black ( http://gprojects.net/) were amazingly patient and offered to help in any way they could. We just found ourselves reevaluating the project and felt that we just wouldn’t be able to pull it off in a way that we envisioned.
If anyone else is interested in the live space or bar or would like more info, we are happy to provide our plans and more details. A full liquor license is possible at this location. Perhaps someone who is better funded could do just a beer/wine joint with a pared back menu? email me if you want more info: [email protected]
I am sorry that we won’t be bringing a good anchor bar to this part of the CD! I know the community really needs a third place….Thanks for all the support!
Sincerely,
Kedra & John Olsen
i’m so sorry to hear this! my neighbors and i have all been looking forward to this, especially given who the owners were. i hope someone else is able to take over the space and turn it into something fun for the neighborhood.
It was a hard hard hard decision!!!
We are very sad…..
This is heartbreaking. Passing by every single day, I never ceased looking forward to your opening.
I know the neighborhood NEEDS this bar/type of thing. We are shifting our focus and reevaluating what we can pull off and hope our future investments will bring us the kind of capital to make a bar happen in the CD. Sadly it can’t be now….(big bummer)….
Oh, no! I’m so sorry, and so disappointed it’s not going to happen. My husband and I were just walking by there yesterday talking about how excited we were for it to go in. It’s frustrating that your project – which would clearly have been a benefit to the neighborhood – couldn’t get the green light. I feel like the city keeps getting in the way of itself here :-(
What untold number of projects that could be serving the neighborhood have been crushed by red tape like this? It must be so aggravating to be a small business owner in a place so hostile to them. It’s all for “our own good” though, eh? Meanwhile, rich, well-connected developers put up hideous condos all over the city.
Thanks Kedra for posting and for offering up support for others who are interested. I just wanted to add that Brad and I are likewise totally committed to getting a use at 19th and Yesler that will activate the corner. Please spread the word that we are looking for the right fit. Above the commercial space is an 1800, apx, sq ft house with three bedrooms and two baths.
Yeah, such a bummer to have “red tape” doing things like keeping the public safe and healthy. I’m pretty sure health regulations aren’t totally arbitrary.
However, I am sad that this couldn’t work out.
We were looking forward to the opening. Very sorry for you Kedra & John!
I had been telling all my friends around the city that we were soon to have a cool bar in the neighborhood. It’s all very sad. What annoying health department regulations. Matt’s at the Market started off in a tiny space with 2 burners.