Ballard restaurant to close after building owner stops lease

Small business struggles: Ballard restaurant closing after building owner stops lease

The co-owners of the Fish Ladder Lounge in Ballard say they were shocked when they received a notice telling them their lease was terminated, and they needed to vacate.

SEATTLE - The Fish Ladder Lounge, a minority-owned business in Ballard, is being forced to close its doors for the last time in late August.

The co-owners say they were shocked when the business owner gave them a notice, telling them they needed to vacate.

The co-owners say that the block has recently been re-zoned to allow for multi-level buildings and, although they don't know what's next for the property, they say it's a sign of the times for struggling small businesses in Seattle.

"We put a lot of time and energy into the space to turn it into something that we were proud of," said Alison Soike, co-owner of the Fish Ladder Lounge in Ballard.

"We just got an email that said the owners wanted to claim the space," said Ryan Faniel, co-owner of the Fish Ladder Lounge.

The co-owners say it marks the end of a dream for the two.

"Feeling really sad, upset," said Soike.

Since they took over the lease in early 2023 from the Shelter, the partners have worked to make it a welcoming place for Black, indigenous and people of color, along with LGBTQ+ patrons.

"Ryan and I are committed to the community and making a space for people that don’t always feel like they have space," said Soike.

Everything was going swimmingly at the Fish Ladder Lounge until a few weeks ago, when they opened the email inbox and found a notice telling them the lease was terminated, and they had to leave. They say it wasn't specified why the business was getting the boot.

"We got tipped off probably 9+ months ago, they were seeking to rezone," said Soike.

The two wonder if that prompted the owner to move in a different direction.

"Right now, us and Shibuya are the only ones operating. Everything else is vacant," said Soike. "So, you can make assumptions based from there. That’s where it’s headed, which is sad."

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"It’s zoned to go up now, so I imagine they are going to tear it down and put up some monstrosity," said Faniel.

For now, the Fish Ladder Lounge's locally made, neon sign will go into storage. The two say they will sell the glassware from the bar and restaurant in a public sale around the time of closing.

However, they say much of the time and resources that they had invested in the business will be lost.

"We can recoup maybe some of it by selling equipment, but it’s lost. It’s gone," Faniel said.

Soike says over the last 20 years, many small businesses like the Fish Ladder Lounge have disappeared from the community.

"A lot of them have been torn down and these multilevel high-rise buildings have been built in their place," said Soike.

There are no current plans for a new location yet for the Fish Ladder Lounge, but the co-owners say that could happen in time.

You can support the team at the Fish Ladder Lounge location near NW Leary Way and NW 49th St. through August 27th.

The two business partners also own the Lockspot Cafe in Ballard, where most of the staff will transfer. People can support the crew there after the Fish Ladder Lounge closes in late August.