Seattle, WA

Crowds return to Seattle in levels not seen since the pandemic

Published

3 years ago

June 6, 2022

Crowds return to Seattle in levels not seen since the pandemic

Downtown tourism bounces again

A rely of foot visitors and visits from late Could reveals that lots of of 1000’s made their strategy to the downtown space day by day.

SEATTLE – The crowds are returning downtown in ranges not seen because the pandemic. A rely of foot visitors and visits from late Could reveals that lots of of 1000’s made their strategy to the downtown Seattle space day by day.

“There appears to be lots of people out and about,” stated Chad Bloxham. “It’s good to have corners the place you might be standing, and you might be having mainly a visitors jam on the nook attempting to cross somewhat than being a ghost city.”

The Bloxham’s have been visiting the waterfront Sunday. That they had come to Seattle for the Luke Combs live performance at Lumen Discipline this weekend.

“It was bought out, a bought out live performance. It poured, but it surely was stunning,” stated Jen Bloxham.

“It was the craziest factor I’ve seen as far as of how a lot it was pouring and the way a lot enjoyable folks have been having,” stated Chad.

Kristy Faulkner and Carrie Grummons flew in from California and Connecticut for the New Children on the Block Live performance.

“I felt like I used to be fourteen once more, screaming,” stated Kristy.

“It was very nice,” stated Carrie.

The 2 have been planning to go to the Oyster Home earlier than flying out later Sunday night time.

We additionally caught up with a Texas household, having fun with the rain and waterfront earlier than their cruise to Alaska.

“Its very cool right here, and again house, it’s like extraordinarily sizzling. I actually just like the cool climate,” stated Misty Dvorak.

“The climate is nice, Texas is sizzling,” stated Danny Dvorak.

“We’re liking it. We’re liking the outlets and the meals,” stated Diana Dvorak.

James Sido, with the Downtown Seattle Affiliation, says foot visitors and visits to the town are growing.

“We had by way of complete guests, the very best numbers that we’ve seen since earlier than the pandemic,” stated Sido

Beginning at round Could 23, the DSA stated a 7-day rely confirmed that complete visits, together with staff, residents and guests mixed, averaged greater than 380,000 per day. That is greater than 2.6 million complete over the 7-day interval. The day by day common is the very best counted because the begin of the pandemic.

“We’re not even to summer time but. We’re not close to the height tourism season. To have these sorts of numbers earlier than that interval hits is admittedly encouraging,” stated Sido. “It’s a mixture of staff, residents, home guests. All of these teams considered, having these numbers so excessive, speaks to a confidence downtown and folks having fun with being within the metropolis,” stated Sido.

“We’re thrilled to have vacationers again in Seattle,” stated Karen Locke, an Worker of Argosy Cruises. “We’re actually glad to nonetheless be right here. We’ve been right here 70 years, and we hope for 70 extra.”

Locke says the growing variety of guests is welcome information following the pandemic.

“Enterprise is so significantly better than final yr as a result of we lastly have the folks again. We lastly have Seattle re-opening. We lastly have folks desirous to be right here. It’s actually made us really feel so much higher about our firm and the world,” stated Locke.

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Seattle, WA

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Published

58 minutes ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Re: “Diesel or hybrid ferries? How about simply reliable” (Jan. 7, Opinion): Gov. Jay Inslee, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and The Seattle Times editorial board are asking the wrong question: diesel or hybrid ferries? Inslee and the majority of Democrats support…

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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Published

9 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect

Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Seattle, WA

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Published

18 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

More from Jason Rantz: Democrats blame Los Angeles fires on climate change to deflect from their own complicity

Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz

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