Seattle, WA
Métier Brewing’s Seattle Taproom encourages diversity, inclusivity
Washington’s first Black-owned brewery has expanded in a location that appears like a homecoming to co-founder Rodney Hines.
SEATTLE — Washington state’s first Black-owned brewery has expanded in a location that appears like a homecoming to co-founder Rodney Hines.
Métier Brewing first opened in Woodinville again in 2018.
“Our mission is to brew rattling good beer and construct stronger group to encourage greater desires for all,” Hines stated.
He can’t conceal his satisfaction for the brand new flagship taproom on East Cherry Road in Seattle’s Central District.
“We wished to be within the coronary heart of a residential strolling group and we care concerning the central district, I’m from the C-D just some blocks away” stated Hines.
The brand new area remains to be underneath the ultimate phases of building, nevertheless it’s open for enterprise as a result of Hines stated they heard the purchasers calling.
“The group has been asking for some time ‘when are you gonna open?’ and we’re like now.”
Hines stated the dream of opening a location within the Central District provides to a cultural revival within the space. Constructing group is a spotlight for Métier. Hines believes that’s achieved by means of illustration and hiring a employees that displays the neighborhood.
“After we launched our brewery there have been lower than 20 women-owned breweries within the nation and at the moment there have been lower than 50 African American-owned breweries within the nation,” Hines stated.
That quantity has grown, however remains to be lopsided in comparison with the estimated 9,000 craft breweries in America.
“Even our new emblem was designed by Conflare, an area Black-female-owned company,” Hines stated.
The Taproom is a real melting pot of tradition and variety. The area was designed by Greene House Redesign, a Black-and-veteran-owned firm.
“The art work on the cans was carried out by by girls and folks of shade,” stated Hines.
Metier is at the moment working to develop probably the most various provide chain doable.
“There’s just one minority-owned hop farmer in Japanese Washington so we’re engaged on that.”
Hines stated when it got here to meals, he knew the favored Japanese road meals company in Woodinville loved can be an ideal match. Umami Kushi is thought for okazu pan — a fried bread filled with a savory filling. BBQ pork, jerk hen, black eye pea and salmon are just some of the favored choices.
Taproom supervisor Mercedes Robinson doesn’t simply invite pals to the taproom, she invitations them to be part of historical past.
“With the ability to say that we got here residence, prefer to the central, the place this group was and is form of going by means of a renaissance interval and we’re gonna be right here to remain actually means one thing to me and the people who work right here and my group,” Robinson stated.
Métier Brewing hopes the brand new group area will present a mirrored image of the varied neighborhood and its clients. The opening weekend resulted in a whole lot of company ready in strains down the block.
“It kinda caught us off guard,” laughed Hines. “We had Black, brown, white, younger and previous all sharing in one thing new.”
Hines stated the group turnout and assist for this new area validates their mission to spice up the group and play a job in reviving the world’s cultural scene.
“What we noticed was that the group confirmed up and embraced us. They stated ‘Sure, you’re residence and it appears like residence.”
Métier needs company to see themselves once they stroll into the brand new 2,000-square-foot area and that’s why there’s an extended mirror behind the bar.
“One of many first belongings you’ll see if you stroll in is our ‘beer it ahead’ wall the place folks purchase a beer for somebody and submit it on the board. Academics, firefighters and notes like which can be fairly frequent.”
The present drinks ready to be claimed belong to a brand new dad or mum and an ER nurse. One tribute even provides a drink for anybody who misplaced somebody to COVID-19.
Métier Brewing’s Flagship Taproom is now open at 2616 E Cherry Road in Seattle.
Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA
Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect
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
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.
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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.
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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.
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