KIRKLAND, Wash. — A Kirkland bakery is being forced to move after 31 years in the same place.
Hoffman's Fine Pastries opened in Kirkland Parkplace in 1984.
The owners of the business knew there were plans to tear down and redevelop Kirkland Parkplace shopping center, but the timeline kept changing.
They've been paying their lease on a month-to-month basis for seven years.
In September, they got official notice that they have to be out by Nov. 30.
"I cry a lot—because in my heart we were expecting to be here," said owner Eugenia Velez.
Velez and Carlos Covelli bought the business eight years ago from the original owner, and have been looking for a place to relocate.
They found a spot in Redmond near Downtown Redmond Park off of Cleveland Street.
Hoffman's will be located at 16175 Cleveland Street, Suite 107.
They hope to open in the last week of December; that's the earliest the new space will be ready.
They were looking for a space that was 3,000 square feet and had adequate parking.
Much of their business is selling cakes, and customers need parking close by.
They couldn't find a suitable space in Kirkland with parking.
They hope to open in the third week of December, but they know it will be tight.
They are disappointed that their loyal customers will likely be without their famous desserts for the holidays.
Amin Pezeshk started going to Hoffman's when he was a child, now he brings his 3-year-old daughter, Sloane.
"You get nostalgic about it. You remember when you were a kid coming out here. We'd go to Hoffman's all the time," said Pezeshk.
Customers were also disappointed to hear of the move, and many vowed to make the 3-mile trip to the new Redmond location.
KIRO 7 checked the value of the Kirkland Parkplace land.
It was worth $2.63 million in 1982 when the original development began; at the time of the redevelopment it is worth $24.1 million, according to the King County Assessor's Officer.
The new Kirkland Parkplace is called "Kirkland Urban" and will be developed by Talon Private Capital LLC.
The final project will offer 650,000 square feet of office space, 250,000 square feet of grocery and retail, and 300 apartments.
There will be 1,600 underground parking spaces.
"This is something that is pretty unique for us and we're pretty excited to be a part of it,"said Bill Pollard with Talon Private Capital, LLC.
The developer worked closely with the businesses already in place at Kirkland Parkplace and acknowledges it is tough for the businesses to move elsewhere for two years and plan to come back.
The QFC grocery store will stay open during the first phase of the project.
It will move into Kirkland Urban and will double in size in the new project.
They are in discussions with other existing restaurants, like Purple Wine Bar.
They also plan to attract new chefs and restauranteurs.
Kirkland Urban will break ground in the first quarter of 2016.
It is scheduled to have the first phase complete in the first quarter of 2018.
KIRO
