More sad news about a local Queen Anne business – emmer&rye has announced that they are closing after dinner service this Sunday, October 28. It’s just a few days away, and follows on the heels of closing announcements from Queen Anne Books and Pinkabella Cupcakes.

emmer&rye has been in its Queen Anne Ave N location for almost 3 three years, but rising costs have forced chef Seth Caswell to shutter the Queen Anne location. In the statement from emmer&rye, there’s a vision for another venture in the future in a “neighborhood near you” – so, we’ve likely lost another local, independent Queen Anne business for good.

And, for this particular loss, we do have some insight as to why – rising costs and a space that doesn’t quite fit with the restaurant’s vision. The email from emmer&rye reads as follows:

“With restaurants operating on such tight profit margins, it is very difficult to deal with the increasing cost of goods and services today. My bills are 150% higher than they were when emmer&rye opened, but the check averages are the same.

Initially, I was attracted to the large, beautiful house in this quaint neighborhood, but I have seen repeatedly that Seattle diners really want to be supporting small, intimate spaces where they can be more attached to the stories that the food has to tell. So, with an awesome private dining room, two outdoor seating areas and a large dining room, the house proved to be much too large for the needs it was trying to fill. Despite the immense pleasure I receive from cooking for each and every guest, I felt too distanced from many of the diners and became uncertain if my message was being transferred through the plates of food.”

The full note to emmer&rye customers is also online.

As always, we will mourn the loss of another local business. If you’re wondering what you can do to stem the loss of our local, independently-owned businesses – while there’s not much we as residents can do about rising rents and costs, we can patronize these businesses and spend locally.

emmer&rye, we wish the best for the staff and any future endeavors.