Seattle, WA
The Man Behind Saint Bread, the Wayland Mill, and Tivoli
Yasuaki Saito often hides in plain sight at his restaurants.
Yasuaki Saito’s restaurants are more famous than he is. Saint Bread, his University District waterfront bakery, was called one of the country’s best bakeries by The New York Times and got longlisted for the James Beard Awards last year. This year the Wayland Mill, his Japanese-inspired all-day café and restaurant in Wallingford, is up for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. If you’ve eaten at Saito’s restaurants, you may have unknowingly met the shaggy-headed fortysomething when he greeted you at his Fremont pizzeria, Tivoli, or made your coffee at Saint Bread.
Saito has a way of fading into the background. He resembles a kind-eyed roadie who’s happy to lend you his dog-eared copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The kind of guy who, in a notoriously potty-mouthed profession, will respond to accidentally breaking a plate by exclaiming, “Biscuits and gravy!”
He doesn’t curse in anger, Saito says, because he doesn’t want to demonstrate to his team that that’s how you deal with challenges and mistakes. “He is so intentional and really believes in everything that he does,” says chef Sam Smith, who worked with Saito in Portland and consulted on Saint Bread.
When the Wayland Mill opened, Saito spent a lot of time working the register to set the standard for how he wanted guests to be greeted. He often hires people based not on skill level, but on how much they care about hospitality. It’s all part of a formula that has made him one of the most successful Seattle restaurateurs of the past decade.
Saito’s low-key version of leadership shapes his restaurants.
Saito grew up hanging out in the St. Louis teppanyaki restaurant his Japanese immigrant father owned. From age 7, Saito loved the communal, bustling vibe and always wanted to work in restaurants.
It didn’t actually happen until he burned out after a decade working at Borders, quit his job, and wound up helping some friends open the era-defining, now-classic Nopa in San Francisco. In 2014, Saito and his wife moved to Seattle, where he took a job managing the London Plane. Then still relatively new, the ambitious café, bakery, and flower shop in Pioneer Square owned by restaurateur Matt Dillon and florist Katherine Anderson was the ideal landing spot for someone with Saito’s wide-ranging interests.
“He has so much energy and also expertise in so many different things,” says Cassie Woolhiser, who has worked for Saito off and on in various roles for more than a decade. “Like calibrating an espresso machine, but also writing poetry and talking about humanism and how it affects his day-to-day work.”
In 2018, Anderson and Dillon brought Saito on as a partner in London Plane. The following year, he bought Post Alley Pizza, near Pike Place Market, with his longtime coworker Andrew Gregory. They didn’t announce the ownership change publicly, but stealthily reinvented the hole-in-the-wall slice shop, making pies with 24-hour leavened dough and orienting specials around seasonal produce. That transformation would set the tone for Saito’s future ventures: understated but quietly innovative.
Tivoli serves the same pizza as Post Alley, with a few extras.
The London Plane closed in late 2022 when Saito and Anderson declined to renew the lease. By then, Saito had opened Saint Bread, which retains some of that maximalist spirit. It’s a bakery but also a brunch restaurant where the food gleefully borrows from Japan and Scandinavia; an omelet comes topped with pickled ginger and fishy bonito flakes, an egg sandwich on sweet melonpan instead of a roll. In the warmer months, Saint Bread hosts a cocktail stand (Heave Ho) and a wood-fired food cart (Hinoki) in the unassuming space—a repurposed boathouse and a gravel lot—that manages to be so many things at once.
Saito followed up Saint Bread with Tivoli in 2023, which anchors its menu on the same style of pizza as Post Alley, but adds dishes like a Caesar salad livened up with chicories and chilled pistachio noodles. Then, with last year’s the Wayland Mill, he leaned further into the mash-up concept: a coffee shop where you can work while sampling a pastry or a date-night spot where you can get sake and Buffalo chicken karaage. Saito dubbed the food “yoshoku Americana,” borrowing the term for Japanese versions of Western dishes and injecting it with homegrown nostalgia. It’s a cuisine that has been back and forth across the Pacific a few times but is instantly recognizable. “The yoshoku idea is something I grew up really enjoying,” says Saito. “[It] allowed me to be that hafu, that liminal space of being a Japanese American kid, it helped me maybe come to terms more with my upbringing and my heritage.”
Saito and chef Jim McGurk infused their shared Midwestern backgrounds into Tivoli.
Nostalgia is something of a North Star for Saito’s operations, says Woolhiser. Customers likely didn’t grow up eating the gochujang snickerdoodle at Saint Bread, but they probably recall being warmed by a cookie on a chilly fall day. People haven’t had anything like the delicate biscuits slathered in umami-rich miso-chashu gravy at the Wayland Mill, but all the elements of that dish are familiar—diner fare filtered through Saito’s experience, interpreted by baker Ellary Collins and chef Jim McGurk.
Unlike many star restaurateurs, Saito didn’t start out as a chef. He describes his role as an “operator,” someone who has done practically every job in the restaurant but also handles payroll and balances the books. A chef puts together ingredients to make dishes; Saito puts together people to make restaurants.
Making pizza at Saito’s restaurants is just one part of making a guest feel welcome.
“He’s very good at finding great talent, bringing that talent together, and letting people’s talents speak,” says Nicole Sakai, an art director whose agency, Factory North, built the stained-glass window at Saint Bread, among other projects for Saito. He looks for people who have “hospitality in their hearts,” or the Japanese idea of omotenashi, which he roughly defines as “hospitality for the sake of it.” He wants people who understand that baking bread or grilling hamburgers or pulling espresso shots is all in service of making a guest feel welcome. Even people who are exceptional cooks or bakers may not care about that second layer of the work, but Saito needs them to.
It means saying “welcome in” and meaning it, a bit of sincerity you can’t quite describe but feel when you walk in. It means that when a construction worker wanders into the Wayland Mill when it’s closed, Saito will (politely) pause the interview with the journalist he’s conducting to make a coffee. It means that if you say how much you love a cup at the Wayland Mill, as a friend of mine recently did, you may find yourself being given one when you leave.
That hospitality extends beyond paying customers. At the London Plane, people from the neighborhood would wander in from the street in varying degrees of distress. “Sometimes people were destructive, and Yasu had to ask them to leave,” Woolhiser says. “But most of the time, people would just come in and sit down and be like, on their own mental journey, and Yasu would offer them a cup of coffee or ask if they wanted anything.”
The sainted glass window at Saint Bread.
Saito’s philosophy around those interactions is to show up for the world the way that he thinks the world should show up for him. With a glass of water, directions, simply a place to sit for a while. “There’s a version of that help that could actually put that person on a different path,” he says. “And I’m not going to say that I’ve done anything to save anybody’s life or any of those things, but oftentimes it’s small things like that that can help somebody understand that they’re not alone in the world.”
Some guests might notice this spirit of hospitality, all these layers of meaning. Some of them probably don’t, just as some glaze over the custom stained-glass window at Saint Bread. They don’t need to see any individual action, any tangible evidence of Saito’s hard work. His kindness, his attention to detail, the way he cares about so many things, it all seeps into his restaurants. A vibe, something in the air, the way customers feel after a visit. They might not notice it, but it leaves a mark anyway.
SEATTLE — With less than two weeks before Seattle hosts matches during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle is escalating his criticism of Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision not to activate newly installed CCTV cameras in the Stadium District and suggesting she is violating established law.
In a sharply worded letter sent Monday, Kettle argues that the mayor’s decision to pause activation of the city’s Technology-Assisted Public Safety Pilot Program is inconsistent with city law and the ordinances approved by the Seattle City Council.
RELATED | Mayor Wilson hosts discussion on surveillance and security, takes questions from public
“I believe that she is not operating according to the ordinances, the law with respect to the stadium ordinances, and her duties under the charter,” Kettle said in an interview on Tuesday.
The dispute centers on 22 CCTV cameras that have already been installed in and around Seattle’s Stadium District but remain inactive as city leaders debate privacy concerns and the circumstances under which the system should be used.
Kettle said the approaching World Cup is what prompted him to send the letter.
“Basically, we’re less than two weeks out from the World Cup, and we’re not ready,” Kettle said. “We have capacity with these stadium cameras, they’re up, they’re installed, but they’re not turned on.”
In his letter, Kettle argues that the council already approved the surveillance technology through council-approved ordinances, specifically outlining the limited circumstances under which the program can be paused.
According to Kettle, those conditions include situations where the city is compelled to release camera data for civil immigration enforcement, gender-affirming care investigations, or reproductive healthcare matters, or when city leaders determine the technology is being used for those purposes.
RELATED | City leaders say Seattle ready for World Cup, despite concerns with surveillance, drones
“Neither condition has occurred that would merit a temporary program pause,” Kettle wrote.
The councilmember contends that the Seattle Municipal Code and the approved surveillance impact report provide no authority for the mayor to indefinitely delay the program’s implementation beyond those specified exceptions.
The mayor’s office has defended its position, saying activation decisions will be guided by public safety experts and intelligence assessments ahead of the World Cup.
“Mayor Wilson continues to consult public safety officials regarding circumstances that might warrant use of the expanded set of cameras during the FIFA World Cup,” the mayor’s office said in a previous statement. “We appreciate councilmembers’ perspectives, and those will be part of ongoing discussions.”
The previous statement continued:
“With regard to credible threats: Identifying a credible threat involves multiple experts from federal, state, and local agencies monitoring and assessing various streams of information. In collaboration with one another, they weigh incoming intelligence and jointly recommend whether to elevate security operations. Mayor Wilson’s decision whether to activate the Stadium District cameras will be informed by this group’s recommendation.”
The mayor’s office has been asked if there is a change in perspective given Kettle’s letter. In a new statement obtained by KOMO News on Tuesday, the mayor’s office said Wilson’s position remains “unchanged.”
“Per our legal review, we believe council has the authority to pause the use of adopted surveillance technology but cannot require its use,” the mayor’s office said in Tuesday’s statement. “The Mayor is ensuring that our use of surveillance technology is protective of civil rights, liberties, and privacy and provides sufficient data privacy safeguards. The Mayor has a duty to make sure our use of these technologies is responsible.”
Kettle argues that waiting for a specific threat before activating the cameras misunderstands modern security planning.
SEE ALSO | Seattle mayor’s verbal missteps prompt national and viral attention, leadership questions
“There are credible concerns,” Kettle said, citing worries about drones and other security issues surrounding a major international event.
He pointed to examples, including the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, arguing that public officials often do not receive advance warning before attacks occur.
“This idea that you’re going to get a credible threat warning is not right. It’s not the professional standard,” Kettle said. “The 22 cameras are installed, they’re ready to go, they just need to be turned on.”
Opponents of the camera expansion have raised concerns that footage could potentially be sought by federal immigration authorities or used in ways that conflict with Seattle’s sanctuary city policies.
Kettle dismissed those concerns, arguing that the council built extensive safeguards into the legislation governing the cameras.
“We don’t have facial recognition,” Kettle said, noting the city established restrictions and oversight measures as part of the technology program.
He also argued that federal agencies have their own surveillance capabilities and do not need Seattle’s camera network to conduct enforcement operations.
Kettle said he sought legal guidance before sending the letter and believes the mayor’s decision is inconsistent with the ordinances governing the program.
“I asked the question, if Mayor Harrell had to do all this in terms of ordinances, why is it that Mayor Wilson does not?” Kettle said. He said attorneys reviewing the issue identified concerns centered on the language governing when the program may be “paused.”
While Kettle stopped short of calling for legal action against the mayor, he said he wanted to publicly highlight what he views as a conflict between the administration’s actions and council-approved law.
“Her move related to the pause is not right, and essentially a violation,” Kettle said.
Kettle said Seattle is the only one of the 11 World Cup host cities that does not have its full camera system operational and warned that the city is running out of time.
“We have to take action now to get ourselves ready for the World Cup,” he said. “That is ensuring that we have all the pieces in place, and that we’re using the capacities that we have to their full ability.”
Kettle said he was scheduled to meet with members of the mayor’s team on Tuesday and hopes a resolution can be reached before the first World Cup matches arrive in Seattle.
Seattle, WA
Melinda French Gates is done ‘cheering on Seattle from the sidelines’ — she’s buying into the bet to bring the Sonics back | Fortune
Melinda French Gates, a billionaire philanthropist and businesswoman, will join the Seattle Kraken as a minority investor, pending NHL approval.
French Gates, 61, is the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. She and her $30 billion net worth, according to Forbes, join an ownership group headlined by majority owner and managing partner Samantha Holloway, as well as investors David Wright, Andy Jassy and longtime Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
“As a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future,” French Gates said in a statement. “I’m a big believer in the power of sports, and after many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I’m excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community.”
French Gates has never previously had an ownership stake in a major professional sports franchise. She will do so at a time when the Kraken ownership group is positioning itself to own an NBA franchise should the NBA return to the Emerald City for the first time since the SuperSonics were relocated to Oklahoma City nearly 20 years ago.
In March, the Kraken ownership group announced the creation of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, which serves as the umbrella brand of the organization to “oversee a growing portfolio of properties and fuel new opportunities.” At the time, Holloway announced that One Roof would pursue an NBA team in Seattle, should the league move forward with expansion.
Holloway also announced in March that the group had entered an agreement to purchase additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from Oak View Group, and would make the organization the majority owner of the building. OVG has retained a minority stake.
French Gates, who grew up in Dallas and received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics, as well as an MBA from Duke, currently heads Pivotal, a group of organizations she founded to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the United States and around the world.
French Gates previously founded and co-chaired the Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropy.
“I am excited to welcome Melinda to our ownership group,” Holloway said in a statement. “Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.”
Seattle, WA
Melinda French Gates, ex-wife of Bill Gates, to join Seattle Kraken as minority investor
SEATTLE (AP) — Melinda French Gates, a billionaire philanthropist and businesswoman, will join the Seattle Kraken as a minority investor, pending NHL approval.
French Gates, 61, is the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. She and her $30 billion net worth, according to Forbes, join an ownership group headlined by majority owner and managing partner Samantha Holloway, as well as investors David Wright, Andy Jassy and longtime Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
“As a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future,” French Gates said in a statement. “I’m a big believer in the power of sports, and after many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I’m excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community.”
French Gates has never previously had an ownership stake in a major professional sports franchise. She will do so at a time when the Kraken ownership group is positioning itself to own an NBA franchise should the NBA return to the Emerald City for the first time since the SuperSonics were relocated to Oklahoma City nearly 20 years ago.
In March, the Kraken ownership group announced the creation of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, which serves as the umbrella brand of the organization to “oversee a growing portfolio of properties and fuel new opportunities.” At the time, Holloway announced that One Roof would pursue an NBA team in Seattle, should the league move forward with expansion.
Holloway also announced in March that the group had entered an agreement to purchase additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from Oak View Group, and would make the organization the majority owner of the building. OVG has retained a minority stake.
French Gates, who grew up in Dallas and received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics, as well as an MBA from Duke, currently heads Pivotal, a group of organizations she founded to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the United States and around the world.
French Gates previously founded and co-chaired the Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropy.
“I am excited to welcome Melinda to our ownership group,” Holloway said in a statement. “Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.”
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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