This Week in Restaurant News: Thackeray Evolves and Stumptown Shreds
It's the end of Thackeray as we know it.
Image: Sara Marie D’Eugenio
Bye, Thackeray
Big news first: Thackeray is on its way out. Panic-eat fried chicken while you still can. The restaurant announced Thursday that it'll be gone for good after one final brunch service March 3. After a few good years, Heavy Restaurant Group decided to switch gears and pivot to Fiasco—a casual Italian place, with pastas, pizzas, and in-house desserts—in the same location later in March. The space will continue to host Claret Wine Bar. You can follow the new restaurant's progress on Instagram.
Speak Softly, Carry a Flatstick
Last week, Tacoma. This week, Spokane. Next, the world? Flatstick Pub plans to open a pub in downtown Spokane just south of Riverfront Park this summer or fall. That announcement followed on last week’s news that they'll open a 12,000-square-foot location in Tacoma later this year. The Spokane location has been in the works for years, the owners told Washington Beer Blog, and they'll debut a new game, on top of their other golf-themed offerings.
Pizza to Tapas to Different Tapas
Chaos reigns on Capitol Hill. Itto’s Tapas, which replaced Toscana Pizza on Summit Avenue in 2017, is a relative newcomer, and it’s already headed out the door. Jody Claggett, currently the manager at Itto’s, has purchased the restaurant, and plans to turn it into a Spanish restaurant called A La Vida, according to Capitol Hill Seattle. Let us head off your questions: Itto's, despite the name, is more of a Moroccan place. Its original location will still be around in West Seattle.
Like, Isn't Everything a Simulation?
Starbucks’s simulation of a neighborhood cafe, Roy Street Coffee and Tea, will be closing soon, according to Capitol Hill Seattle. Opened back in 2009, Roy Street was the coffee giant's first foray into local-centered design and reportedly led to similar experiments in other cities. Because this is Seattle, there's already a petition to save the business. It's slated to close at the end of April, but don’t you worry: If you can’t get enough of that neighborhood-cafe feel, but miss the taste of charcoal in every sip, you can still find high-concept, sneaky Starbucks locations in Austin and New Orleans.
Then There’s Oregon
Portland-based Stumptown Coffee Roasters showed off its shiny new skate team on Wednesday. What does coffee have to do with skateboarding, you might ask? According to a press release, the team is meant to showcase the company’s commitment to its community. “We’ve counted skateboarding diehards in our ranks since day one,” they write in a stoke-peppered blog post. The roaster will also release a 20-minute short film showcasing the team, plus a new bag of beans and cold brew, come March. In the meantime, watch them smash watermelons and limbs in a grungy, nostalgic trailer. Seattle, this could be us, but you playing.
