For the past several weeks, My Ballard has reported on multiple business closures in Ballard and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Ballard said goodbye to local bars Waterwheel Lounge and Schooner Street at the end of 2025, Baker’s is closing at the end of January, and Copine announced its plan to close in May. The retail clothing chain Ross Dress for Less closed up shop last week, and Ballard Citydog! Club will shut down this month. And just earlier this week, we reported on Cycle & Coffee closing suddenly on the Burke-Gilman Trail.
Many business owners cite the challenges of doing business in Seattle, saying rising costs are a major factor, while some say they’re sick of dealing with crime, and others have been forced to close due to development.
Is it just a coincidence that several businesses are turning over, or is there a larger trend going on?
To help answer that question, My Ballard spoke to the Ballard Alliance and Councilmember Dan Strauss.
The Ballard Alliance reviews business closures and openings within the core of Ballard, an area they call the Ballard Improvement Area (see map below). While the Ballard Alliance doesn’t have stats on the entire neighborhood, the insights from 2025 for downtown Ballard are the following:
- 35+ new business openings
- 30 business closures
- Ground-floor occupancy rate is 94%
The Ballard Alliance also tracks foot traffic through downtown and has found a steady increase since the pandemic. In 2025, Ballard clocked 5.8 million visitors, which the Alliance says is an increase of about 32% since 2021. In 2019, 6.6 million visited downtown Ballard.
Executive director Mike Stewart said he recognizes what small businesses are up against.
“Certainly, operating a small business, in this neighborhood and across the city, can be challenging. Cost of goods, payroll expenses, insurance premiums, repairs, and other costs have generally increased over the last few years,” Stewart told My Ballard.
The owners of Cycle & Coffee echoed that in their closure announcement, saying, “Like many other businesses, we have been unable to survive the skyrocketing costs of doing business in Seattle, particularly in food service.”
And when Copine first hinted at potential closure last July, they highlighted financial issues. “…Economics have determined our next immediate step. These past 5 months of operating at a marked deficit have presented serious challenges, financial and otherwise.”
But Stewart said that despite the recent high turnover and challenges facing Ballard businesses, vacant storefronts on Ballard Ave are leased out fairly quickly.
“Sometimes, a storefront may appear vacant, but that is often because tenant improvements are underway in anticipation of a new business opening. In Ballard, for the most part, when a business closes or leaves the neighborhood, it’s a relatively short window to secure a lease with a new tenant,” Stewart said. “On Ballard Avenue in particular, vacant spaces are often leased directly by the owner without having to go on the market.”
Councilmember Dan Strauss also acknowledged the strain on local businesses.
“It’s a difficult time for businesses. Not only are they dealing with the effects of constantly changing tariffs, high-interest rates, and rising costs, nationally, 2025 was the weakest year of job growth since the beginning of the pandemic,” Strauss told My Ballard. “Both workers and our small businesses are hurting, and federal policy from the Trump Administration isn’t helping.”
Strauss has made efforts to make it easier to do business in Ballard, such as lowering taxes through the Seattle Shield Initiative. According to Strauss, the initiative raised progressive revenue to fund community programs while reducing the B&O tax burden for 90% of businesses, primarily small and mid-sized companies.
Strauss also pointed to boosting the Back to Business program, which supports small businesses impacted by vandalism, increasing funding for street cleaning in Ballard, and investing more in public safety by doubling the size of CARE Community Crisis Responders and hiring additional police officers and firefighters.
Amidst the flurry of closures, Stewart pointed to a few highly successful recent business openings in the past couple of years, such as Little Beast, Situ Tacos, and The Ink Drinker. He also highlighted a few new businesses expected to open in the neighborhood this year, including Exit 5 Korean BBQ and Caffe Ladro.
“There is much more that we need to do to support our local businesses, and I continue to work with struggling businesses,” Strauss said, adding that business owners in District 6 are encouraged to book a meeting during his office hours.
Photo: File photo of Ballard Ave
