North Bend businesses work to weather the snow-less season

Published 11:19 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

NORTH BEND – Businesses here are anxious for The Summit at Snoqualmie to reopen, but most say they are managing to get by, thanks to the improving economy and the area’s growing population.

“Our sales are up over last year, but it would be nice to get some extra skiers,” said Keith Mickle, owner of the North Bend Bar & Grill on the corner of North Bend Way and Ballarat Avenue West.

The absence of skiers at the restaurant/bar is most noticeable on weekend nights when business is down about 10 percent, Mickle said.

“The general community’s growing, but the lack of skiing traffic puts a hole in the income,” Mickle said. “You don’t really count on it, but you need it.”

Adam Schaubroeck, bar manager of Robertiello’s Ristorante Italiano at 101 W. North Bend Way, said “I’ve definitely seen a decline in business,” from skiers.

Schaubroeck said skiers typically stop in at the restaurant on Fridays or Saturdays on the way up to Snoqualmie Pass for either lunch or cocktails, and then stop by Sunday evenings for dinner.

“Our overall business has been better, but we haven’t had a lot of skiers come in,” Schaubroeck said.

Brian Skinner, kitchen manager for Pour House Bar & Grill at 330 W. North Bend Way, which opened for business on New Year’s Eve, said, “So far we’re doing pretty good,” despite the lack of skiers and snowboarders that the restaurant’s owners were expecting to cater to.

“It seems like we’re hanging in there, but I can only imagine that it’s got to increase tenfold if the mountain is going,” Skinner said, adding that the restaurant is starting to attract a breakfast crowd on weekends, “but it’s mainly locals.”

Ed Cook, general manager of The Factory Stores at North Bend outlet mall just off Interstate 90, said “there really hasn’t been a correlation this year to the snow, or lack thereof, to overall traffic to the center, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t affected individual stores.”