The Vashon Tea Shop, which has been for sale for some time, got a new lease on life earlier this month when Beng-Imm Low purchased it from Susan Bassett, who started the intimate café in the heart of town.
Islander John Koriath has recently opened a counseling practice at the Full Circle Wellness Center, where’s he’s offering an innovative approach to mental health that blends his 30 years of work in science, psychology and the therapeutic traditions of indigenous people.
Well-known yoga instructor Ronly Blau has brought a new healing practice to the Island.
When caterers Nadia D’Aoust and Mardi Ljubich re-opened Sound Food restaurant last year, it seemed as though the restaurant — an Island institution since 1974 — would be relegated to the status of part-timer, open to the community only for special events.
Island Lumber and Hardware has stepped into the void left by Vashon Auto Parts’ closing and is stocking automotive essentials, including batteries, fluids, filters, light bulbs, wiper blades and an assortment of other accessories, according to a news release.
Bob’s Bakery is now open until 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for take-out dinner and dessert.
Café Luna should be able to sell wine by the bottle — as soon as its liquor license application to do so goes through, said café owner Natalie Sheard.
Banded together as the Vashon Merchants’ Association, more than two dozen Island retailers have been working this year to strengthen Vashon’s retail sector. They’ve done such things as create a walking map of Vashon town and implement a program where their stores stay open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
Behind the Vashon Wine Shop, Islander Mathilda Oldham has transformed an old garage into Vashon Vintage, a colorful store where Islanders can find updated, not-so-new items for their homes.
Brimming with everything from painted dining tables to dinnerware in bold, primary colors, the store carries a collection of items Oldham intends to fit everyone’s budget.
Competition and thin profit margins make it especially tough for some.
Signs outside Vashon Island Realty and the Bank Bay Inn advertise that the longtime Island inn is for sale, but owners Victoria Davies and John “Stormy” Storms hope that when the signs come down, they will still be the owners of the inn and their home next door.
Under different names and owners, Zoomies has supplied burgers and ice cream to Islanders young and old for decades and will continue that tradition under new owner Kelly Hwang.
