The Valley is alive with the sound of business as many ribbon-cuttings and openings have recently taken place.
In November, downtown Snoqualmie’s Books and Bottles had its ribbon-cutting ceremony with the SnoValley Regional Chamber of Commerce, though the shop opened last July. Owner Julie Thomas has created a place for wine and book aficionados alike to gather and discover new reads or sips.
Snoqualmie Ice Cream finally reopened in downtown Snoqualmie after closing down due to a fire in April 2024. While reconstructing the ice cream shop, co-owners Heather Dean and Julie Chung also took over the lease of the whole building, adding an upstairs event space and a cookie shop — Falls Avenue Cookie Co. — on the backside.
Also in Snoqualmie, I-90 Church moved into a space on Railroad Avenue, now operating under the name Downtown Church. The organization was previously located right off of Interstate-90 between Preston and Issaquah. It is now offering services at its new location; information at snoqualmie.church.
Then in November, Snoqualmie Valley Health opened its long-awaited North Bend clinic at 712 SW Mt. Si Blvd. The clinic has six exam rooms and a full staff to provide primary care. Nurse practitioner Shantal Postiglione will be the full-time provider at the clinic, while speciality providers from the hospital will rotate in as needed.
In early December, North Bend Art and Industry had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Snoqualmie Valley Center for Creativity in North Bend at 1533 Bendigo Blvd. N. The nonprofit makerspace — the only one in the Valley — has a goal of fostering community connection and creativity.
The center began holding classes almost a year ago and has ramped up to a full schedule.
“We have literally just exploded,” co-founder and board member Deb Landers said at the ribbon-cutting. “Last year we had 14 classes. This year, we’re already at over 100 classes.”
A lot is happening in North Bend: the California-based pizza franchise Pizza Factory announced its plans to open a North Bend location sometime in the near future. CEO Lisa Roscoe visited North Bend in the fall as one of many potential towns to expand to and thought it would be a great fit.
Roscoe is now looking for an interested local franchise owner and location. More information is at pizzafactoryfranchises.com.
In Carnation, an update to ownership is keeping a community cornerstone alive. The 34-year-old Sandy’s Espresso is now Kelsey’s Coffee after original owner Sandy Griffin sold the business to long-time barista Kelsey Harris-Olsen.
The Carnation Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon-cutting ceremony to reveal the new business owner, name and branding Dec. 28.
“Sandy built something truly special here, and I’m so grateful she trusted me with this next chapter,” Harris-Olsen said.
Snoqualmie Valley Health CEO Renee Jensen (right) and North Bend Mayor Mary Miller cut the ribbon on the new clinic, Nov. 19, 2025. They are surrounded by SVH providers and leaders.
