For as long as our family has called the Snoqualmie Valley home, La Fogata has been serving Mexican food in downtown Snoqualmie. After this weekend that appears to be changing, as the longtime business is preparing to close.
Since January, MK Properties has been advertising La Fogata’s 2,200 sq. ft. Railroad Ave restaurant space as available for lease. Other Snoqualmie business owners, as well as restaurant patrons, also confirm the closure.
Reader Heather Thompson, whose family has been eating at La Fogata for years, said the Mexican restaurant is closing its doors this Saturday, February 8th, after 13+ years in business. Heather hopes the community will give the local owners as much business as possible before La Fogata is gone.
Last fall, casual clothing store Nothing to Wear vacated its retail spot at the corner of River Street and Railroad Ave and the Snoqualmie Tribe is also reportedly leaving its downtown Snoqualmie spot later this year when it relocates to new offices on the current Snoqualmie Hospital property. The hospital will leave its current location once its new hospital building on Snoqualmie Ridge is ready in late 2014/early 2015.
Winery May Expand to Railroad Ave
Someone new may be coming to Railroad Ave, though. Sigillo Cellars, located on Meadowbrook Way near Mount Si High School, might be expanding to the core downtown retail area.
Sigillo Cellars owner, Mike Seal, said the winery, which has been in its Meadowbrook location for nearly two years, has outgrown the space that doubles as a wine production facility and tasting room. Seal said they are exploring options to relocate the tasting room to Railroad Ave. He didn’t elaborate, though, as to which vacant space they are considering leasing.
When La Fogata closes, there will be five empty storefronts in the one block retail area of Railroad Ave between King and River Streets.
Comments
The local Chamber of Commerce, as well as the City and the EDC (Economic Development Commission) are all aware of the growing empty store front situation in the downtown area and are continuing to work to bring either new businesses to the area and/or encourage existing area businesses to expand to the downtown area.
However, we can do our part by patronizing our existing local businesses. A recent new study from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance indicated that there is an even greater benefit of keeping your money local:
“Choosing a locally owned store generates almost four times as much economic benefit for the surrounding region as shopping at a chain… (Our) analysis also found that eating at a local restaurant produces more than twice the local economic impact of dining at a chain restaurant.”
So let’s do our part and shop, eat and buy local!
Nice that you allowed someone put a TACO trailer infront of the grocery store and the bbq place.
Nothing better than killing off the only reasons to go downtown.