This year, four storefronts on downtown Kirkland's waterfront blocks changed hands, and none of the new operators started from scratch. One is a Kirkland restaurateur reviving a dockside institution. One is a self-taught baker whose customers kept asking for a shop. One is a Seattle spirits bar that had already proven itself across the lake, and one is a Portland sushi brand that built a Seattle following at University Village first. Taken together, the four tenants explain how Lake Street, Park Lane and Kirkland Avenue look this fall. Each space went to someone who already knew who would walk through the door.
| Address | What it was | What it is now | Who's behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 Kirkland Ave | The Slip, closed fall 2025 | The Slip, reopened | Ricky Eng, owner of BeachHouse Bar & Grill |
| 116 Lake St | Starbucks | Le Croissant Bar | Owner and baker Monica Kuchman |
| 115 Park Lane | Feast | Von's 1000Spirits | Owner Merrisa Claridge |
| 128 Lake St S | Not public | Bamboo Sushi | SoHi Brands |
The rest of this post goes through the table one row at a time, starting with the operator whose following is the most local.
The Slip has been on the Kirkland waterfront for about 30 years, and its reopening is the most local handoff of the four. In April, WhatNow Seattle reported that the previous owner had closed the restaurant in September 2025 and that Ricky and Maria Eng were taking it over.
The Engs didn't come from outside. Ricky Eng already owns BeachHouse Bar & Grill, and The Slip's own site says it is "now open" under his leadership. The site leans on his "years of experience serving the Kirkland community."
The reopening keeps more than it changes. The menu covers burgers, salads and pub-style plates, and the site promises "longtime favorites making a return." Weekend brunch is still listed as coming soon, so check the site before planning a Saturday morning around it.
At The Slip, the following came over from a sister restaurant. The former Starbucks at 116 Lake Street went to a baker whose customers outgrew her lack of a room. WhatNow Seattle first reported in April that Monica Kuchman would open Le Croissant Bar in that space.
On Le Croissant Bar's site, Kuchman calls herself a self-taught baker and says the shop began with customers asking her, "Where's your storefront?" The same page describes the bakery as 90 days into its soft opening.
On the counter you'll find the Classic Almond Croissant and the Miss Figgy Piggy, which layers fig jam with prosciutto, pears and brie. Desserts include tiramisu, espresso affogatos, mango pineapple cheesecake and banana pudding. There's hot chocolate for kids and a short list of wine and champagne for adults. WhatNow's April report also named strawberry vanilla, peach cream cheese and blueberry lemon curd croissants, along with Friday and Saturday pairings of beer, wine and champagne.
The posted hours are the useful part for anyone planning a weekday:
Kuchman's following was local and grew one customer at a time. The next tenant brought a following that had been building in Seattle for years. Von's 1000Spirits took the former Feast space at 115 Park Lane, according to WhatNow Seattle's December 2025 report. Sip Magazine announced in May that the Kirkland location would open June 10, 2026, under owner Merrisa Claridge.
The Kirkland menu repeats what made the Seattle bar known: scratch sourdough pizza and pasta, a back bar of more than 1,000 spirits, a $7.99 scratch martini and the Wagering Wheel. 425 Magazine reported a ribbon-cutting in July and listed hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Those hours matter on Park Lane. A spot open until midnight on weekends gives the street foot traffic after most of its neighbors have closed.
The last of the four is the biggest company, and it also didn't arrive cold. Bamboo Sushi is owned by SoHi Brands, WhatNow Seattle reported in July, when the Kirkland location at 128 Lake Street South was still listed as coming soon with no opening date.
It's open now. On October 14, The Infatuation described the Portland-based restaurant as having expanded to Kirkland from its University Village outpost. The Kirkland menu carries the same lineup: olive oil-topped king salmon, celiac-safe tempura and the asparagus-heavy Green Machine roll. Reservations are on Resy.
For Kirkland diners who have already driven to U Village for that menu, the Lake Street location makes the trip shorter.
Since each tenant fills a different part of the day, the four now cover most of it between them:
On Mondays, plan on the other three, since Le Croissant Bar is closed.
Kirkland's other dining districts have followed the same pattern this year. Secret Burger Kitchen held its grand opening in Juanita Village at 9739 NE 119th Way on July 11. WhatNow Seattle covered it as the third location for co-founders Paul Sandhu and Amit Jouhal, so the concept had two shops behind it before reaching Juanita. The menu centers on smashburgers served with sauce syringes, plus vegetarian and vegan options.
Off the water downtown, Café Sabah serves Turkish food. WhatNow Seattle placed it at 456 Central Way. Up at Totem Lake, The Village at Totem Lake's directory lists Lime Social Margarita as coming soon at 12670 120th Ave NE, Suite 166, with no date posted yet.
That leaves the waterfront with a lineup tied to the area: a dockside restaurant run by the owner of BeachHouse Bar & Grill, a bakery that grew out of customer requests, a Seattle bar with a known menu, and a sushi brand familiar to anyone who has eaten at U Village.
If you own a home a few blocks from Lake Street, the storefronts nearby are part of what you own. At Pavone Kinzler Team, we track which downtown Kirkland spaces turn over and who moves in, and we fold that into every valuation we prepare. Ask us for your free home valuation and local market plan, and we'll show you how the blocks around your address are changing.
3933 Lake Washington Blvd NE, Suite 100 Kirkland WA 98033
3933 Lake Washington Blvd NE, Suite 100 Kirkland WA 98033