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Café Cecile Owners: Bob and Laurel Seely Address: 1307 11th St., Bellingham Phone: 752-3390 Opening date: Sept. 18 Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; Web site: www.cafececile.com (site under construction)
Café Cecile is nestled among the old brick buildings in Fairhaven. Owners Bob and Laurel Seely chose the location because they liked the 102-year-old building and the size of the district. “There’s enough people in Fairhaven to support a new business,” Bob Seely says. They also prefer to have the deli-type menu constantly changing, with a few favorites that are consistent. “We don’t want people getting bored with what we offer,” Bob remarks. That’s unlikely since chef and co-owner Laurel loves trying new recipes. She also draws upon familiar dishes she’s cooked in Tokyo, New York and Connecticut. The couple met in Tokyo, where both were born and raised by parents who were missionaries. Laurel worked as a pastry chef, and a sous (assistant kitchen) chef. Bob was the executive vice president of capital subsidiaries of Sanyo, an electronics firm in Japan. In 1997, Bob met former Bellingham Mayor Tim Douglas, who at that time was director of the Washington State Community, Trade and Economic Development. Douglas was visiting Japan to interest businesses there in expanding to Washington State. His visit coincided with the Seelys’ desire to have a different lifestyle than Tokyo offered and they moved to Bellingham. They returned to Tokyo for a year, but decided they liked Bellingham better and moved back. “Laurel has been in the restaurant business for a long time, but she hadn’t owned one before. I am new to it and learning the business,” Bob observes. The café offers breakfast, lunch and take-out dinners. Laurel says people can call at dinnertime to find out what’s on the menu for the day. Currently, hours are 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., but, according to Bob, they are “rethinking the hours all the time.” Café Cecile’s breakfast offerings include smoked salmon and dill quiche, potato pancakes with mozzarella cheese and scallions, and, of course, scones and muffins. A specialty is chocolate croissants. Baked goods and pastries are baked fresh every morning. For lunch and dinner, the Peanut Bow Ties, a pasta with peanut sauce, are very popular, especially with vegetarians and vegans because the dish doesn’t contain dairy products, Laurel explains. “We have a lot of vegetarian dishes, like curry cous-cous with chick peas. Another popular dish is our Sesame Thai noodles with chicken, tomato and cilantro,” she remarks. The café’s emphasis is on healthy foods with fresh ingredients. “People have been asking for no-fat and low-fat foods,” Laurel states. “I’m going to start offering more low-fat baked goods.” The Seelys are looking forward to warmer weather so customers can use the new deck along the side of the building. “You can see the water from there, as well as from upstairs in our booths,” Bob says. — Patricia Rathbun
Sheehan’s Owners: Ed and Lisa Richards Address: 2200 Rimland Drive, Suite 100, Bellingham Phone: 756-9669 Hours: 11 am-11 pm Mon-Thurs, 11 am-midnight
Fri, Opening date: Feb. 1
One of the newest additions to the ever-growing Barkley District of northeast Bellingham is Sheehan’s, a steak-and seafood restaurant with an Irish-pub spin. Owned by Ed and Lisa Richards, the new establishment is located in Barkley Building III, a four-story structure completed last fall. The Richards describe their restaurant as upscale and hope to attract the people who work in the numerous offices within the Barkley area, as well as those who just want excellent dining in an adult atmosphere. Since there is no distinction between the bar and the dining area, Sheehan’s operates under an adults-only liquor license. “We wanted to open a place that we would be excited about coming to,” Ed Richards says. “People can get a baby-sitter and come and enjoy a night out. This is a non-smoking establishment, and the overall atmosphere will be different than anything else in Bellingham.” The menu focuses on fresh ingredients, according to Lisa Richards. She says the steaks are hand-cut and grilled on a wood stone-fired deck oven. The menu also has a slight Irish flavor. “We offer mussels and clams in an Irish cream sauce and a stew featuring Irish beer,” she explains. “Except for the 10 beers and ales we have on tap, that’s about as Irish as we’ll get,” remarks her husband. Sheehan is the maiden name of Ed’s mother’s and she is of 100 percent Irish descent, he notes. The restaurant offers wines from the Northwest, as well as fine wines from around the world. New microbrews are also served. The Richards chose the Barkley III building as the location for their restaurant because of the growing businesses in the area and they admired the look of the buildings. “It took us about three minutes to decide on this location because we liked it so well,” Ed Richards says. “We knew that the owner, Jim Talbot, wanted a pub in here.” Ed Richards comes from a background of extensive restaurant experience. He managed Bellingham’s Cliff House restaurant 30 years ago and also helped to open and develop Bull Shed, a large restaurant in Hawaii. Then he moved on to manage a lumber company and own a business that cleaned processing equipment in pulp mills. Having been out of the restaurant industry for some years, Ed says he’s “coming out of retirement” to open Sheehan’s. Lisa Richards has worked in sales for a number of years and thoroughly enjoys the hospitality business. She designed much of the interior of Sheenan’s, including the unique floor tiles at the entrance to the establishment. Most of the interior is oak, with embossed copper inlays decorating the bar. Sheehan’s employs 28 people. — Patricia Rathbun
Vision, Ink Owner: Susan Davis Browne, Patricia A. Davis and Carrie R. Grant Web site: www.vision-ink.com Start date: Jan. 7
Vision, Ink is a marketing communications group that offers an array of traditional business communications, including ad copy, press releases, resumes, sales letters and Web-site copy, says co-owner Susan Davis Browne. Primarily through Web consulting, the company offers services to businesses that lack in-house copywriting or marketing resources. Vision, Ink focuses on engaging, result-oriented promotional and informational materials for businesses, according to Davis Browne. It also works with individuals and start-up businesses, as well as mobile and small/home office (SOHO) professionals. Vision, Ink is a family business. Davis Browne founded the company with Patricia A. Davis, her sister, and Carrie R. Grant, Browne’s daughter. Each owner brings more than 10 years of experience to the new venture. Davis Browne, a writer, editor and columnist, has been published in several magazines, as well as the Seattle Times and an online site, The Life @ Work Journal. She has also spoken at seminars on business and personal finance and teaches creative writing classes at Whatcom Community College. Patricia Davis brings her own extensive set of skills and experience to Vision, Ink. She has written for seven years for both regional and national trade publications and has extensive experience with business communications marketing materials. Her specialty is communications for start-up businesses and small home businesses. Both Browne Davis and Davis reside in Bellingham, while Grant oversees the Seattle branch of Vision, Ink. Her background includes several years as a store manager in Bellingham and corporate-level merchandising. She specializes in creative consulting, working with businesses regarding merchandise promotion and displays, store organization and layout. “My goal is to help you transform your store image from ordinary to an experience each customer will never forget,” Grant states. Convincing businesses to spend on marketing during tough economic times can be challenging, according to Davis Browne, but she sees Vision Ink’s role as helping companies save money. “When hiring copywriter services, you pay only for exactly what you need and you actually save money in the long run. All our services are geared toward that end,” Davis Browne explains. If companies want to try writing their own copy or Web-site content, Vision, Ink can polish the work for them. “We can help them refine their ideas and create a more focused message,” she remarks. During a downtime, Davis Browne believes it is even more critical for businesses to stay in contact with customers and prospects and make their marketing materials as professional as possible. “Sure, you can save money in the short term by reducing your marketing budget, but if you simply stop marketing, you’ll wither on the vine,” Davis Browne says. “We provide a way for you to maximize your marketing dollars. The money you spend wisely now will benefit your company in the long run.” — Patricia Rathbun |
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