September 7, 2016

Cherry Street will open space in 200 Occidental

Photo by Sera Mattson [enlarge]

There is a 7,000-square-foot space on the northwest corner of 200 Occidental that could be subdivided.

200 Occidental has a second tenant.

Urban Visions' Greg Smith and Cherry Street Coffee House founder Ali Ghambari are partners in a new venture coming to Occidental Square. Weyerhaeuser is moving this month into Smith's new eight-story office building on Occidental, and Ghambari will begin construction soon on Cherry Street Public House, his first establishment to serve beer and wine.

Ghambari and his daughter Laila, a national champion barista and the family company's director of coffee, expect to open in December. Mallet is the architect and contractor.

They just opened their 11th location, in the new Vue Research Center at 500 Fairview Ave. N.

Laila said Public House will “offer a higher execution of what we already do,” with an expanded food menu, and more artisanal coffee drinks as well as beer and wine. The intent isn't to open “a full-fledged restaurant,” she said, though Cherry Street's locations are popular lunch spots. “What really sets us apart is our food program.”

The 2,294-square-foot Public House will have space for about 85 customers inside, and another 20 at outdoor tables. The Public House will open early, for the early coffee rush, and stay open to nine or 10 for the evening crowd. The location will be mid-block, with sliding windows facing west toward the park, right next to Weyerhaeuser's corporate entrance.

“The intent is for Pioneer Square to be their campus,” Smith said, with grazing and drinking at the Public House and other neighborhood businesses. For the southwest-corner retail space, Smith has signed a second food/beverage tenant to be announced soon. There is a 7,000-square-foot space on the northwest corner of 200 Occidental that could be subdivided.

Founded in 1997, Cherry Street draws its name from the original location near First Avenue. Next spring Smith and Ali Ghambari will move that operation across the street into what's now called the Good Arts Building, at 110 Cherry St. The two men and partner Jane Richlovsky bought the building in December.

Smith said he plans to start exterior renovations on Good Arts later this year. Ghambari will occupy what's now the corner Cafe Bengodi restaurant space. Smith said Richlovsky eventually will expand her artist warren from the second to third floor. Some retail space is still available in the building.

The Ghambaris also plan to open their 13th location at Pier 54, probably next May. “We're only expanding,” said Laila. “All these locations are sexy like crazy,” said Ali.