Rocket Donuts ready to make a home in Fairhaven

It won't be long before Rocket Donuts lands in Fairhaven, and it's bringing along one other retail business.

Construction of a new building on the corner of Harris Avenue and 11th Street is scheduled to begin in March and be completed by the end of the year, said Teri Treat, a spokeswoman for Rocket Donuts. The building, which has 3,325 square feet of retail space on the main floor, will be home to Rocket Donuts, A Lot of Flowers (which currently resides on that property) and a new business called Fat Pie Pizza Restaurant.

While construction is taking place, A Lot of Flowers will move into the vacant space next door to the downstairs portion of the Colophon Café. Once the building is completed, A Lot of Flowers will move into a 690-square-foot space on the Harris Avenue side of the building, which will feature high ceilings, plenty of glass windows and an outdoor nursery retail area.

Fat Pie Pizza Restaurant will have about 955 square feet of retail space, featuring two levels of seating and a rooftop bar/event space. The restaurant concept is still being developed by the Rocket Foods company, Treat said.

The Rocket Donuts space will have nearly 800 square feet of space, which Treat said will have a variety of colorful interior elements and outdoor seating. The Fairhaven Rocket Donuts also will be home to Acme Ice Cream, featuring at least eight ice cream flavors. The 25-foot rocket sculpture will remain at Rocket Donuts' downtown location.

The building was designed by RMC Architects and construction will be done by Bellingham's Pearson Construction. Treat said they specifically chose a construction company they thought would be sensitive to the needs of the neighborhood.

"We know construction can be disruptive and this will happen in the heart of Fairhaven, so we'll try to get it done as quickly as possible," Treat said. "We really want to be a good neighbor."

With the addition of a second Rocket Donuts and the Fat Pie Pizza Concept, the company has also added a couple of people to help head up the projects. Chris Kenney was hired as director of food operations while Kirstin Pole was named general manager of Rocket Donuts.

BELLINGHAM FLORAL SHOP ON THE MOVE

Life's a Party, a floral and event studio, is moving from its spot at 121 W. Magnolia St. to 1306 Cornwall Ave., near the Holly Street intersection.

The move will take place Wednesday, Feb. 15 so it won't interfere with Valentine's Day orders, a holiday that's the biggest day of the year for flower orders, said owner K.C. Kippenbrock in a news release. Kippenbrock bought out the former Johnson's Floral Shop on West Magnolia Street in 2006 and changed the name last August.

Kippenbrock said the move provides more visibility for Life's A Party and the open layout makes it easier to interact with customers about floral arrangements.

Life's A Party is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Delivery service is available in Bellingham and other nearby communities. For more information, call 360-733-6600.

The floral shop is moving into the former spot of Urchins, a Bellingham children's clothing store that left the space last month. Owner Kathleen Emmerson said on her website (urchinsboutique.com) that she is still selling products online and is looking for a new spot to reopen her store.

OTHER TIDBITS

• You may have noticed that owner Jesse Cantu changed his restaurant name in Fairhaven from Milagro Mexican Grill to Jalapenos Mexican Grill, matching the names of his two other Bellingham restaurants. He originally came up with the name Milagro as a tip of the hat to his favorite brand of tequila, Milagro Tequila. The tequila company contacted Cantu, asking if he would change the name, so he decided to honor that request. Everything else about the restaurant, including the staff and menu, remain the same.

• Torrid, a women's clothing store that features products in a variety of sizes, announced it is coming to Bellis Fair mall, occupying a spot in the Macy's wing. The company has several stores in Washington, including at the Northgate Mall in Seattle. In other Bellis Fair news, Boss Wear, TeaQuent Shop, Coalson's and Safari Mini Golf have closed. The owners of the TeaQuent Shop are directing customers to visit the company's other store, Spice Hut, at 131 W. Kellogg Road, near Best Buy.

• Battery City, which sold a wide range of computer and phone batteries, has closed its Bellingham store, which was at 1031 N. State St.

• With the passage last fall of Initiative 1183 to allow private stores to sell hard liquor, the applications are rolling in to the state liquor control board for a spirits license. Among Whatcom County stores, recent applications submitted include Costco, Fred Meyer on Lakeway and Deals Only at 2331 James St.

The rest is here:
Rocket Donuts ready to make a home in Fairhaven