Merchants frozen out of business at year’s end

It was a record breaking year for La Conner businesses. Just check with the town government, which took in unprecedented high sales tax revenue most months of 2021. But the last week of the year? Not good for merchants or the town’s coffers.

Ask Ted Furst, majority owner of Nell Thorn.

The First Street restaurant has been closed since Christmas Eve, and not just because of snow in the parking lot.

Their drain pipes froze “after 72 hours with temps under 22 degrees” from the evening of Dec. 25.

With the building extending into the Swinomish Channel, “the drain p-traps were just hanging out in the frigid air.

Think of a two foot long u-shaped coke can frozen solid and stuck in the pipe” Furst wrote in an email.

Nell’s did not open again in 2021.

Nor will they be open in January.

A kitchen remodel will bring a new walk-in cooler, new dishwashing area and setup, and new floors and wall coverings, including the dining area.

Pam Fields did not even try to open her La Conner Coffee Company, also on First Street, after Christmas. She was not sure what customer traffic would be like last week and the combined cold and snow answered her question: the tourists did not venture out either.

Cristal Perkins and her family were trapped by snow on hilly home roads and so only had Santo Coyote open on the 28th and 29th, closed Thursday and opened for half days New Year’s eve and New Year’s day, with hours limited because of staffing shortages.

The numbers were bleak for Christi King at Tillinghast Postal: Two customers on Monday and four Tuesday, she emailed.

For retail, many merchants acted as Rich Murphy did at Pac Nor Westy, also on First Street: closed most of the week after Christmas due to the snow. He thought “everyone was caught off guard by the amount of snow we received and how long it stuck around with the cold temperatures.” He opened his store Dec. 31 and reported being quite busy, believing “it was pent up cabin fever from everyone being stuck inside.” Merchants, staff and shoppers all maneuvered around the snow and ice covered streets and sidewalks, he noted.

Alan Darcy’s Two Moons Gallery closed at 5 p.m. Christmas Eve, reopening Dec. 29 but closed on the 30th. Sales were good the last day of the year and again on New Year’s day. Darcy stayed open through the weekend. He noted last week of the year sales are typically good, with “are a fair number of people coming to La Conner with visiting family and friends.” He appreciated the time-off imposed by the weather.

Janna Gage at Seaport Books reported they are “doing fine.” They had a typically good Christmas then “opened for two days, closed, and will open on the second of January for real.” She did not say what days they closed.

Rosi and Wes Jansen, naturalists and bird lovers, kept Fine Feathered Friends on First Street open except for a half day on the 28h. Rosi reports busy holiday sales, that “people wanted to feed the birds during this cold time and had many questions. There was a demand for hummingbird feeder heat lamps, that were sold out everywhere and we tried to get some of them. Some customers are still on the waiting list.”