Customers Love Vivace's New Location on Broadway
By Tony Engelhart
February 06, 2009
Last year Vivace was forced to relocate when Sound Transit purchased the land adjacent to Cal Anderson park to build the Broadway station for the light rail University district link.
Schomer was told more than three years ago that he'd have to move from the location on E. Denny Way.
"Emotions ran high for awhile." Schomer said that employees and customers had to go through the stages of grief - "denial, anger and finally acceptance."
The cafe moved into the Brix last Fall and has steadily seen their cliental increase. The new location, Schomer said has concentrated our demographic.
"There are no sweeter, more educated residents than the extended neighborhoods around North Broadway anywhere in Seattle." He added that, "Brix has placed Vivace in the center of our strongest customer base."
Although moving proved to be costly, and the financial assistance from Sound Transit was minimal - only covering 12 percent of the actual moving costs - Schomer said he couldn’t be happier with the results.
"The old clichés 'Every cloud has a silver lining' and 'Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger' both apply to Vivace's experience with the eminent domain seizure," Schomer said. "Before Seattle Transit we had one weak retail location in an aging building and a street bar in the center of Broadway."