The juice bar is taking over a space that was left vacant by Morsels. (Mike Platania photos)
A new arrival is in the works on Bellevue’s restaurant row.
Tricia Walker is preparing to open You Matter, a juice bar at 4040 MacArthur Ave. The space was most recently occupied by Morsels bakery, which went out of business about a year ago.
Walker, who works in the healthcare industry, previously operated a food cart meal prep business, Christine’s Place, but shuttered that around five years ago.
She said her return to the food service industry is prompted in part with her experiences with mental health issues. In addition to offering juices and other items, Walker said she’s hoping to have You Matter offer mental health pamphlets and resources.
“It’s something I love to do with cooking, juicing and having healthy foods, but I want to make sure I create a space where people come to and feel like they’re with people that care about them,” Walker said. “There’s going to be resources that advocate for mental health. Even the suicide hotline is going to be on my menu.’
You Matter will operate as a grab-and-go spot with minimal seating. The roughly 500-square-foot space isn’t outfitted with a hood so the menu will be limited to things that don’t need to be cooked on a stove.
“We’ll start off with the juices, smoothies, smoothie bowls and salads and things of that nature,” she said.
Walker is currently renovating and redecorating the space, with eyes on a mid-February opening. She’ll have a familiar face next door as her husband, EJ, owns Walker & Son, a custom jewelry shop at 4038 MacArthur Ave.
“The MacArthur and Bellevue community, in my opinion, is a food community. You have a lot of different types of restaurants.…I think a juice bar is going to fit in well.”
The investors redeveloping the Samis Grotto temple recently bought Zorba’s building.
Down the block, work is ongoing at the former Samis Grotto temple at 4028 MacArthur Ave. Local developers Ben Adamson and Alex Griffith bought the property, which also previously housed the Bellevue Theater, last year and kicked off a mixed-use conversion of the building with about 10 apartments above ground-floor commercial space.
Last week Adamson said the commercial spaces are set to be completed in the late summer or early fall. Thalhimer’s Annie O’Connor has the listing.
Adamson and Griffith also recently added to their holdings in the neighborhood. Last month the duo bought an adjacent building at 4024 MacArthur Ave. for $300,000. It’s occupied by Zorba’s Pizza Express, and Adamson said they’re planning to keep the Zorba’s building as-is for the foreseeable future.
The juice bar is taking over a space that was left vacant by Morsels. (Mike Platania photos)
A new arrival is in the works on Bellevue’s restaurant row.
Tricia Walker is preparing to open You Matter, a juice bar at 4040 MacArthur Ave. The space was most recently occupied by Morsels bakery, which went out of business about a year ago.
Walker, who works in the healthcare industry, previously operated a food cart meal prep business, Christine’s Place, but shuttered that around five years ago.
She said her return to the food service industry is prompted in part with her experiences with mental health issues. In addition to offering juices and other items, Walker said she’s hoping to have You Matter offer mental health pamphlets and resources.
“It’s something I love to do with cooking, juicing and having healthy foods, but I want to make sure I create a space where people come to and feel like they’re with people that care about them,” Walker said. “There’s going to be resources that advocate for mental health. Even the suicide hotline is going to be on my menu.’
You Matter will operate as a grab-and-go spot with minimal seating. The roughly 500-square-foot space isn’t outfitted with a hood so the menu will be limited to things that don’t need to be cooked on a stove.
“We’ll start off with the juices, smoothies, smoothie bowls and salads and things of that nature,” she said.
Walker is currently renovating and redecorating the space, with eyes on a mid-February opening. She’ll have a familiar face next door as her husband, EJ, owns Walker & Son, a custom jewelry shop at 4038 MacArthur Ave.
“The MacArthur and Bellevue community, in my opinion, is a food community. You have a lot of different types of restaurants.…I think a juice bar is going to fit in well.”
The investors redeveloping the Samis Grotto temple recently bought Zorba’s building.
Down the block, work is ongoing at the former Samis Grotto temple at 4028 MacArthur Ave. Local developers Ben Adamson and Alex Griffith bought the property, which also previously housed the Bellevue Theater, last year and kicked off a mixed-use conversion of the building with about 10 apartments above ground-floor commercial space.
Last week Adamson said the commercial spaces are set to be completed in the late summer or early fall. Thalhimer’s Annie O’Connor has the listing.
Adamson and Griffith also recently added to their holdings in the neighborhood. Last month the duo bought an adjacent building at 4024 MacArthur Ave. for $300,000. It’s occupied by Zorba’s Pizza Express, and Adamson said they’re planning to keep the Zorba’s building as-is for the foreseeable future.
I’m glad to hear there will be new life given to these vacant/underutilized spaces soon!