A cluster of shops flank Rainier Avenue South near Seward Park Avenue, an intersection that usually hums with a steady stream of cars. The area is a business anchor among South Seattle, Renton, and Skyway, offering food, a salon, a fitness space, and auto-repair services.
"The neighborhood has seen notable recent changes. Ashanti Mayfield's Creamy Cone Cafe, which served up ice cream scoops for five years, closed abruptly in August. Creamy Cone is still taking orders for catering events and pop-ups. Several blocks away to the west, near Safeway, a brick-and-mortar Starbucks closed in September after having set up shop last fall.
When the business owners talk about the neighborhood they're rooted in, safety, transportation, and community are common themes.
Ten years ago, Harold Fields started selling his okazupan — fried breads stuffed with savory fillings, such as BBQ pork, chicken curry, and other flavors — from the Umami Kushi storefront. He sells his breads to Uwajimaya and other shops around the region, but he wants South End neighbors to visit his shop too. "There's no [transit] access for anyone outside the South End to get to you unless they're in a car," said Fields.
"He blames this on a lack of resources and attention to transportation in the region. He said the neighborhood doesn't have an anchor institution, like a hospital or university, that brings in commuters — an institution that could drive investment in infrastructure. Fields mentioned there are also no real transit connections to the Rainier Beach light rail station on Martin Luther King Way South and South Henderson Street, and bus service is infrequent.
Fields criticized closing down Lake Washington Park Boulevard to cars this summer without offering other options for southward travel. "They closed a major arterial route on the South End, but haven't added any extra bus routes or options. People still have to get to work." Fields has proposed a public transportation loop to the City and County that connects the light rail station to the Rainier Beach neighborhood business area, Be'er Sheva Park, Pritchard Island Beach, and Kubota Garden. Field
Daoud Abouchamsddin brought Paranormal Pie to the neighborhood in 2017 and runs it with his nephew, Nael Said. The family has run Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurants around the region for decades. All of the offerings on Paranormal Pie's menu are halal, so pizzas feature beef pepperoni and turkey ham. They also serve up pasta, sandwiches, hummus, dolmathes, and baklava.
Said recounted being told by people outside of the community that Rainier Beach is dangerous, but when he and his wife passed out flyers in the neighborhood to announce the restaurant opening, he was moved by how well the neighbors knew each other. "The people here are super friendly and welcoming," he said. "We never worried about safety until the last few years, when there have been more shootings." Looking out the large front windows, Said mentioned that traffic on Rainier Avenue South is fast and busy. "Slower-paced traffic and walking-friendly [streets] would bring more pedestrians."
As Jack Chung stood in front of Seward Park Market and Deli, customers walked in, often greeting him with "Hi, Uncle Jack." Chung set up the shop 12 years ago. His son, Richard, owns it now.
In addition to convenience-store fare, they have fried chicken and other hot snacks. It's a business Jack Chung knows well since he's operated convenience stores for four decades. He says it's a good neighborhood, close to downtown and the airport. He lives nearby too. He admitted there are shootings but said shootings happen throughout the city. "[With business,] it's simple: If you know people, no problem with business. They'll listen to you if you know them."
Sophia Ellis sat in a chair on the sidewalk in front of her market that sells Caribbean seasonings, condiments, and provisions. She chatted with neighbors and watched the street. Ellis brought this business to the neighborhood four years ago. This shop is the merging of a Caribbean market she owned on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and a food truck she ran in Skyway for seven years. She cooks jerk chicken, oxtail, and curry goat at the back of the shop.
Ellis feeds many people. She offered food to youth through the program All Youth Can Eat during September, and she will feed hungry children anytime when they stop by the shop. She also delivers food to unhoused people. Ellis, who grew up in Portmore, Jamaica, says her work and values come from her family. "My granddad had a shop where he sold food and groceries. My grandmother was like this, cooked for everybody. Sunday, she'd cook, and everybody comes and everybody's eating."
The store recently experienced its seventh break-in in a year. "It's the same person each time," said Ellis. "The police wouldn't come to the site, and would only take a statement over the phone two hours later."
Van Tieu opened Van Go Auto Glass in 2020. His business replaces all types of auto glass, including sunroofs, and they tint windows and restore headlights. They also travel to customers who can't drive because of windshield damage.
Tieu's father started Dan's Auto Repair across the street in the 1990s and retired a number of years ago. "On the weekends, we'd come [to his shop] and help my dad to be with the family," said Tieu. Tieu's brother, John, operates Dan's Auto Repair.
Planted along the side of the auto glass shop are a few dozen fig trees. "I like to garden and have some green space at the shop,” said Tieu. He said he has over a hundred fig varieties at his home in Skyway.
Tieu has also experienced a number of break-ins over the years. "It can be a rough corner. There are shootings too, but we try to prevent it by [the stores] being close-knit and [watching] for each other," said Tieu. "Overall, the area is safer than 30 years ago. Now you see more people wanting to live in the neighborhood, more businesses than before." He also noted that parking has become an issue for some residents because of new developments built with little or no parking.
Kim Lam has been the manager at Crawfish & Hot Pot Seafood House for more than two years. After the Crawfish Boil owners left, Truc Nguyen and Binh Lam took over the business. They kept the Louisiana seafood boil and added pho and rice dishes to the menu.
Lam grew up in the Othello neighborhood. "I love how everything is in walking distance," said Lam about the South End. "When my mom was busy with work, I would get a banh mi and go to Othello Park with my brother and friends to hang out." She said the restaurant is supported by regulars in the area and people who drive in from as far as Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Olympia for the dishes. Lam loves Rainier Beach and the community created in the restaurant. The biggest concern for Lam is the shootings. About 12 shots were fired near the store in July.
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