Everett Works: There’s No Business Like Small Business
Note: We hope you enjoy this photo essay from Richard Porter, edited by his wife Christa Porter, all about some of the small businesses in Everett.
All photos in this feature were shot on 35mm color film with a 1976 Asahi Pentax K1000 camera during the months of October and November 2016. The film was developed by Ken’s Camera, a second generation family-owned business in Everett. Ken’s is the only place in the county that still develops film in-house.
Leah Scates stocks seasonal produce at the co-op.
1. Sno-Isle Natural Foods Co-Op
The customer-owned grocery store has a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables, a large bulk section (reducing packaging and waste for consumer and company), and locally-sourced products.
Ms. Scates has recently been promoted to Marketing and Outreach Manager at the co-op. She coordinates the donation of produce to Recovery Cafe and Sequoia High School, and schedules free cooking classes. The co-op recently donated 25 pounds of organic soil to a nearby elementary school for a gardening project.
De'Shawn Jones, owner of Definitionz.
De’Shawn Jones, owner of Definitionz, moved to Everett in the early 2000s. He grew up in New York City and saw people selling socks on the street, hustling to get by. He supports a family of eight, something he says would be impossible to do in the Big Apple. He says it’s much easier to have a business in a smaller city like Everett than in New York because there's less competition among business owners.
For fifteen years Harry Tran has served hot Vietnamese soup to college students and Providence Hospital staff. He says he has another fifteen years to go so he can pay off college for his son. He has a daughter who recently graduated from the UW and another who is currently enrolled at UW. The restaurant has a warm interior lined with mirrors and filled with the trailing green vines of pothos plants.
Ryan Crowther, founder of the Everett Music Initiative.
Ryan Crowther is the man behind Everett Music Initiative, a nonprofit that promotes Everett-based bands and imports out of town acts for shows. EMI hosts several events that bring out large crowds: Fisherman’s Village Festival, Rock the Boat (in conjunction with Everett’s Scuttlebutt Brewery), and summer concert series Sets in the West.
Mr. Crowther also founded Engage Everett, a monthly community and business networking group, and manages his own PR & marketing business, Puget PR.
"This kind of work has offered me the opportunity to be involved in a lot of new things happening in Everett… to meet people investing in our community and help them make their business successful is exactly what I want to be doing."
Heidi Sawdon, owner of Hot Rod Heidi's Vintage Closet.
5. Hot Rod Heidi’s Vintage Closet
Heidi Sawdon started her business thirteen years ago. She began selling vintage clothing out of the back of a trailer during summer car shows around the PNW. She has since settled into a large storefront on Hewitt and Grand. Heidi and her husband Matt Sawdon have owned Sunken Ship Tattoo parlor in Everett for many years.
6. Broadway Streetwear (permanently closed)
Parnell Johnson, manager of Broadway Streetwear, sells new retail clothing with an urban flare, in styles that aren’t available at the mall. He buys clothes once a year at a convention in Las Vegas and brings small brands to Everett.
Parnell says he wants to see a nightlife venue in Everett that plays good soul music. Of opening a business in Everett he says, “Don’t think about it, just do it. Do it now.”
7. Bayside Bikes (Colby shop is closed, pick up and delivery service only)
Eric Smith opened his shop on Colby Avenue two years ago. He sells new bikes and does repair work for urban bicyclists.
The shop is part of a wave of new small businesses that are revitalizing the economy at the city’s core. The downtown stretch Colby is considered a de facto ”gold zone” by city planners—a place where banks and startup businesses are welcomed.
The Schack is a downtown gallery where local artists can make and sell their work. The place features a glass blowing studio that can be viewed by the public. On the day I visited, the ovens were firing at 2200 degrees Fahrenheit—perfect for making glass light fixtures.
Wai Eng, owner of Sub Shop #26. Remember, cash only ;)
9. Sub Shop #26
Wai Eng runs the oldest small business on the south end of the Northwest neighborhood. He’s been running the sandwich shop daily for thirty-one years and seems to know everyone in the neighborhood. To paraphrase Jay Z: Mr. Eng is not a business man; he’s a business, man.
When I visited Wai was reading a newspaper in Chinese and offered me complimentary wafer cookies from Indonesia. His place has a quirky décor of masks and faded prints of naval ships. He urged me to remind blog readers that his restaurant is cash only—no credit, no debit.
Richard Porter is a social worker and musician. He lives in North Everett and enjoys running on Marine View Drive, bicycling down tree-lined streets, and trying to coax vegetables out of his yard.
