Tacoma, WA comic book store closes over rent prices

Increasing rent closes Tacoma minority-owned business

A minority-owned business and Tacoma staple is calling it quits as their rent is on the rise.

TACOMA, Wash. - After ten years in business, Destiny City Comics shut its doors permanently due to increasing rent costs, according to the owner.

The Tacoma staple sat along St. Helens Avenue for about a decade. The current owner, Matt Nebeker, better known by his wrestling stage name "ETHAN HD," went from customer to owner about five years ago.

"I love the city, and it’s been great for these five years to be a bigger part of the city, to host events and contribute more," said Nebeker.

Nebeker said over the last year they have not felt stable in their location.

Rising rent forces doors to close

What they're saying:

"We didn’t have a permanent lease anymore, like, they opted for month to month, and the response I got back was, ‘well, I have a garage space you can rent out instead.’ And it just felt disrespectful to just be like, you can run your business out of a garage with no bathroom," he said.

On top of the instability, Nebeker said their rent has increased by 25% over the last five years.

"That’s just going to trend, you know, to be 50% in ten years. And I think that’s a lot to ask of any small business to do 50% more profitable in ten years. Let alone, 25% in five years when your first year was during the pandemic," he said.

What's next:

While saying goodbye is hard, the customers have made it a little easier, Nebeker says.

"It’s been so great seeing all these people we haven’t seen in years, like customers who moved to Portland and Bellingham that are coming back," said Nebeker.

And with the extra support this month, Nebeker said they’re making one more book order, but not for the shop. They plan to donate dozens of books to tiny free libraries throughout the city of Tacoma.

Nebeker, or rather ETHAN HD, tells FOX 13 Seattle he plans to return to professional wrestling and has a match on March 14 in Tacoma.

For local business owners looking for assistance, you can learn more through the community reinvestment program or the lending program.

The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter AJ Janavel.