Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 2, February 2003
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Business Briefs
Hot doughnuts (almost) now
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., notorious for drawing a cult-like following with its fresh doughnuts, broke ground Jan. 21 on another one of its outlets, this time on Aurora Avenue N and N. 125th Street. The store, expected to open in April, is the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based company's fourth in Washington state.
The 4,400-square-foot Aurora location will include a glass viewing area, a 24-hour drive-thru and the chain's trademark "Hot Doughnuts Now" neon sign.
"We are delighted to be bringing the hot doughnut experience to more people in Washington," said Gerard Centioli, president and CEO of KremeWorks, the Krispy Kreme franchise operator for this region.
Kmart to keep Aurora store
The Kmart location at 13200 Aurora Ave. N was spared in the latest round of store closures announced by the financially struggling Troy, Mich.-based retailer, which in January announced plans to shutter 326 more stores across the nation, including its West Seattle store. That will make the chain's Aurora store, the last Kmart in Seattle.
The store closures also will result in the layoffs of 35,000 workers. The cutbacks are being made to help the retailer to climb out of bankruptcy, which it hopes to do this spring. Kmart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a year ago. It still maintains 1,500 stores, with 200,000 employees.
Mary, an assistant manager at the Aurora Kmart, who would not give her last name, said employees there are happy to hear that their store is staying.
"We're going to be the only one, so we've got a lot of work ahead of us," she said.
New owners, name for newsstand
The Steve's News magazine stands in Fremont and Capitol Hill are under new ownership. In October, John and Sally Hamel purchased the stores from Steve Dunnington, who opened the popular shops in 1986 and is now working as a small business consultant.
John Hamel, 55, had owned an alarm installation business for 17 years before his retirement in 1998. But it wasn't long before he decided to come out of retirement.
"I always had an interest in print media. I was interested in a book store, but it's hard to make a living with a bookstore. A newsstand seemed a good compromise," Hamel said.
Regulars at the store at 3416 Fremont N will not notice much change other than the new name: J&S Fremont News.
"We want it to remain basically as it was but with some modest improvements," Hamel said. "We like it as it is."
Rand Hendricks Design
Wallingford resident Rand Hendricks recently left his job as a graphic design for Woodinville-based audio equipment maker Mackie Designs to devote his full time to running his own business, Rand Hendricks Design. The business, which he operates out of his home, makes banners and signs as well as providing large-format printing services.
Hendricks began doing graphic design as a high school student in Eastern Washington where he and a friend would make hand-designed and lettered custom t-shirts for classmates. "Kids used to pay us to do Rat Fink designs and drawings of bug-eyed monsters driving hot-rods," he recalls.
Upon graduating from high school, Hendricks began getting hired to paint Christmas scenes on storefront windows.
In 1980, he moved to Seattle where he took a job with a sign company. As an employee of the sign company, he traveled all over the country to create interior signage and painted graphics for Nordstrom, and also did interior signage work locally for Larry's Market as well as the gold-leaf window lettering for the Brooklyn Cafe in downtown Seattle.
He can be reached at 790-6165.
Nominate your favorite business
The Mayor's Small Business Task Force is soliciting nominations for this year's small business awards. Every year, the City selects 10 winners based on excellence in management, business planning, marketing and community involvement. A registration form and information about the awards are available at www.cityofseattle.net/smallbiz/index.html.
The City will host a workshop on the awards process on Tuesday, March 18, 7 p.m. at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church.
For details, call 523-6018.