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Neo Bistro building sold

Greg Beckley, owner of Bick's Broadview Grill, located at 10555 Greenwood Ave. N., has purchased a second space in the Broadview neighborhood with plans to open a new restaurant there, possibly as early as this fall.

Dan Schuette, manager of Bick's, said Beckley bought the former Neo Bistro site at 14053 Greenwood Ave. N in January. He added that the new restaurant, which has yet to be named, will focus on European wines and cuisines such as French and Italian, as opposed to Bick's, which serves primarily North American dishes.

The date of opening, Schuette said, will depend on how long interior renovations to the building take.

Julia's wins environmental award

In May, Julia's Restaurants was honored with a BEST Award for environmental leadership. Julia's has three locations including a Wallingford restaurant, located at 4401 Wallingford Ave. N. The company engages in a number of environmentally sound practices including recycling, composting, and using water-efficient dishwashers and toilets.

BEST Awards are presented by the Business and Industry Resource Venture and its program partners including the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light and 25 local water providers.

For details, call the Business and Industry Resource Venture at 389-7304.

Lake City Chamber new director

Janet Thompson, 49, has been hired to be the new executive director of the Greater Lake City Chamber of Commerce.

Thompson, a Lake City resident for the past 10 years, replaces Deborah Harris, who resigned her position in order to return to school.

Thompson, who holds a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University, has had a long career in public service, having worked for the Washington State Departments of Ecology and Social and Health Services.

Most recently Thompson was a senior environmental planner with the City of Bellevue, however she left that position in search of a job that would let her use a broader range of skills.

Previously, Thompson had also been self-employed as a health care consultant, (in the early 1980s) giving her a background in running a small business as well.

"I'm really interested in recruiting and retaining small businesses in Lake City," Thompson said.

Northgate Chamber now official

The newly formed Northgate Chamber has recently received its tax deductible, non-profit status and is now official. Business owners and managers within the greater Northgate area are now invited to join at the rate of $100 per year.

Elected to the newly formed board are Scott Greer, chair and Kip Heilman, vice chair, both of Seattle Athletic Club; Mary Fisher, treasurer, of Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union; Yolanda Martinez of the Lake City Service Center; and Susan Park of the Seattle Sun. More positions are open on the board.

Meetings are held the third Wednesday of every month at Northhaven Retirement Home at 11045 8th Ave NE.

To contact the Chamber, call 695-4141.

Maple Leaf business group formed

In May, the Maple Leaf Community Council held the first meeting of its new business committee, a group that hopes to bring businesses together with residents to address local issues such as traffic, crime and pedestrian safety. The committee will also look for ways to promote the Maple Leaf business district in general.

"One of our ideas was how can we as a community council promote and help businesses," said Jim Zweigle, a local real estate agent who is one of the committee's organizers.

So far, the group has 15 members. Ed Beeson, owner of the Maple Leaf Grill, will act as interim chairman.

For details and future meeting times, call Jim Zweigle at 227-9481 ext. 204.

Triangle Lounge sold

The Triangle Lounge, located at 3507 Fremont Place N. in Fremont, was sold in May to a group of five investors, according to former co-owner and co-founder Auzie Oxford.

Oxford and his partner, James Weimann, first opened the Triangle in 1992. They went on to own several other bar/restaurants together including El Camino (also located in Fremont), Peso's on Queen Anne, and the Ballroom, also in Fremont at 456 N. 36th St. Currently, only the Ballroom, founded two years ago, remains under the partners' ownership, although Oxford said they may look at opening a similar business this coming winter.

Oxford added that the decision to sell the Triangle was partly influenced by his and Weimann's desire to concentrate on beverage rather than food service.

Despite the change in ownership, Oxford said he didn't expect there would be any visible changes to the Triangle.

Vintage Chick new in Green Lake

Vintage Chick, a clothing store which offers vintage duds from the 1920s and beyond, opened its doors at 7810 E Green Lake Drive N, Suite D, in April. The owner, Mead Dunevant, also sells clothing online at www.vintagechick.com.

Dunevant, 24, took over the shop space from another vintage clothing store called Poodle, when the owner of that business decided to move to another state.

"I have been working on vintagechick.com and have been moving toward opening a store to go with it," said Dunevant. "It was just the right time."

University Inn gets sister hotel

On June 1 a new 100-room hotel called Watertown, will open at N. 43rd Street and Roosevelt Avenue N. in the University District.

Watertown is owned and operated by Nootka Hotels Inc., along with its sister hotel, the University Inn, located at 4140 Roosevelt Way NE.

The Watertown will offer 80 studio rooms and 20 suites, with some rooms featuring Jacuzzi tubs, boardroom suites, and views. There is also a meeting space in the hotel that can accommodate up to 140 people, a general store and a fitness facility along with other guest services.

Fremont Chamber pres, Russ Mead

The Fremont Chamber of Commerce is led this year by local attorney Russ Mead, who was elected to a one-year term as Chamber president after serving only a year on the board. Mead succeeded George Heideman, a Fremont architect who served two consecutive one-year terms as Chamber president.

Mead, a Green Lake resident, is an attorney who owns the Mead Law Firm. He became involved with the Fremont Chamber two years ago when the group learned that it had inadvertently let its registration as a non-profit organization with the state lapse. Mead lent his assistance on a pro-bono basis to have the chamber retroactively reinstated and was subsequently asked to join the group's board of directors.

Under Mead's leadership, the Fremont Chamber has launched several new programs including an Earth Day planter contest and a parking education initiative (to let visitors know where parking lots are located within the neighborhood).

For more information about the Fremont Chamber, call 632-1500.