New pita restaurant opens on Cordata
Avenue Pita & Espresso opened for business on Dec. 4 after several months of dealing with city permits. Bellingham residents Josephine Garcia and Anna Schiessl are the co-owners. The restaurant is located on Cordata Parkway adjacent to the new Department of Licensing and JR Furniture. Garcia and Schiessl are excited about their location which caterers towards customers who are looking at avoiding the Guide Meridian for a convenient and healthy lunch and early afternoon meal and beverage service
“The need for more lunch options in the area was addressed by many local businesses and students attending Whatcom Community College” Garcia said.
Avenue Pita & Espresso specializes in a “create your own” Pita, fresh salads, hearty soups, and a full service Espresso café proudly serving Fidalgo Bay Coffee in a classy, comfortable setting.
Both Garcia and Schiessl have a combination of a total 20 years corporate food service management background. “After committing many hours in the food service industry, I decided to start a new business that will benefit my well-being and also to be able to call it my creation,” Garcia said. They are expecting to open another location in Whatcom County within the next year are seeking for other locations further south in the future.
Garcia previously worked as a marketing consultant for Northwest Business Monthly.

Seattle-influenced Asian cuisine comes to Fairhaven
AW Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar has opened on Finnegan Way on the corner of 12th Street and Mill Avenue in Fairhaven. The Asian-fusion restaurant, owned by the Mei family, offers classic wok stir, fresh maki, nigiri sushi, and contemporary pan-Asian entrees. The Fairhaven location was chosen because of the great corner space, and because the district didn’t have an Asian restaurant.
Manager Andy Mei says the favorites in Fairhaven seem to be the Walnut Prawns in Honey Cream Sauce and the Grilled Coconut Chicken with Lemon Grass Curry. The sushi counter, featuring the “Fairhaven Roll”, with its delicate ingredients of fresh salmon, tobiko, avocado and shrimp has also been popular with locals.
Chef Jimmy Mui worked in several top rated Asian eateries before moving to Bellingham. He was recently a co-owner of the highly rated Chinese in Seattle’s University District. Sushi chef Jack Wong, originally from Hong Kong, also came to Bellingham from the highly-rated Chinese in Seattle.
The restaurant is in application for a full service liquor license and will offer Asian beers, wines and well drinks.

Business Bank of Whatcom County opens new branch
Business Bank of Whatcom County has opened new branch located on Meridian Street in Bellingham. Business products include business checking and savings as well as commercial and real estate loans. Personal banking products include checking, savings and certificates of deposit as well as home loans, home equity, and consumer loans. Online banking services are available to both business and consumer account holders.

Indoor Golf Center opens in Hannegan Square
Golf fanatics can get their rainy day fix, and stay dry doing it! Just in time for the cold, wet winter weather PGA Golf Professional Joe Holdridge has opened “Joe’s Professional Golf Lab and Indoor Golf Center.” With over 15 years experience as a PGA Pro (seven of this spent as Head Professional at Pebble Beach’s Old Del Monte and Bellingham’