Whatcom Roundup: Trader Joe’s rumors; downtown bar closing; chains planned for Bellingham
Here’s your weekly roundup of the latest retail, business and restaurant activity in and around Whatcom County:
Trader Joe’s rumored second Whatcom location
Rumors and whisperings of a second Whatcom County Trader Joe’s have been circling Reddit and other social media platforms. The Bellingham Herald reached out to the grocery store chain, as no location had been announced.
“We are actively looking at hundreds of neighborhoods across the country as we hope to open more new neighborhood stores each year. At this time, we do not have a new location confirmed in Bellingham,” Nakia Rohde, Trader Joe’s public relations manager wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald on Tuesday, Jan. 2.
The new location was rumored to be on Meridian St., where Bed Bath & Beyond used to be.
Autozone taking over previous Pier 1 location
Autozone, an automotive parts store, has filed permits with the city of Bellingham for a new store at Pier 1’s previous location, 4061 Meridian St. The permit for the remodel of Pier 1 was filed on Dec. 28, 2023, with an estimated cost of $536,278, and was not yet approved as of Dec. 29.
Sport Clips salon planned for Sunset Square
A new Sport Clips salon is planned at 1225 E. Sunset Dr. Suite 145, where Sunset Postal & Business Center is, next to Safeway. The new salon has filed multiple permits through the city of Bellingham, such as new plumbing fixtures that have been approved as of Dec. 20.
Endgame gaming bar announces closure
Endgame, a 21-and-older gaming bar, announced it would be closing its doors in February. The closure was announced on the bar’s Facebook page on Thursday, Jan. 4, due to “increasing cost of goods, unstable rental prices and hitting the constraints of what we could do with our limited kitchen space.”
The bar will close on Saturday, Feb. 24, but is open from from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and noon to midnight Friday and Saturday at 118 W Holly St. in Bellingham.
