Josh Henderson

Intriguing growth

Josh is known to many as the creator of Skillet, the Airstream trailer in 2007, the Capitol Hill brick-and-mortar location in May of 2011, the Skillet Counter at Seattle Center's Armory in 2012, and Ballard's physical location in September of 2013. He has created Skillet retail food products, like Bacon Jam. The timeline seems about right. And then all hell broke loose.

With various partners, he opened Westward and Little Gull grocery in September 2013, and Hollywood Tavern in November 2013. Parchment will open late winter/early spring 2013/14, and Cone & Steiner market will open late December 2013/early January 2014. "We really didn't plan this, but good opportunities happened at the same time. If I said no, someone else would do them. I knew it would be crazy, but we've got good people, and we've all worked our tails off. Now the plan is to slow the pace down. We want to continue to grow, but maybe more like two places in a year, not four to five," laughs Josh. "There's a huge growth point in this city for restaurants right now. Developers are switching from the big box model to local neighborhood places. Across the country, developers are seeing what customers want: a place opened by someone whose name they know."

Westward is a "water inspired full service restaurant and bar" located on north Lake Union. It's a spot we've all wondered about—it's been a restaurant and a catering/event facility and is right on the water. What took so long? A wood-burning oven is key to the Mediterranean-influenced menu, every seat has a water view and there's a patio and dock. Connected to the restaurant is Little Gull grocery, a 22-seat oyster bar with beer and wine; a grab-and-go section with beverages, charcuterie, snacks and items for boats. Just to keep it interesting, there are also wool blankets, sun visors and wooden rolling pins.

Hollywood Tavern is billed as a roadside tavern that brings together wine country farm cuisine with whiskey (Woodinville Whiskey Co. distillery on site), roasted meats, burgers, pastas and house-made soft serve ice cream. There are fire pits and lawn games. The Tavern takes the place of the long-lived Mabel's and will serve as a counterpoint to all the wine in the area.

Parchment will be bakery-centric, serving baked items and open-faced sandwiches. Laura Pyles, formerly the pastry chef from Revel and Joule will be at the helm. "We don't anticipate much evening dinner traffic, so Parchment is about mornings, lunch and it will have a happy hour component," says Josh. "The SoDo area is trending up with distilleries and Gastropod." Laura also has an interest in beer, so stay tuned to see where that leads.

Cone & Steiner is envisioned as a neighborhood market where you pick up $20-$30 worth of things; it won't be where you do your big shopping. "It sounds strange to say, but Seattle is a really great grocery store town. We're looking at a different niche." They want to fill in the gaps and be a place to pick up a bottle of wine, flour, and picture-hanging tools. They want to be that neighborhood place, and are starting on Capitol Hill. Partners Josh, Dani Cone (High 5 Pie, Fuel), and Jon Milazzo and Lori Pomeranz (Retrofit Home Store) think there are even more opportunities for these within the city, so watch for further growth from this concept.

Catering at various venues is done by the Skillet Airstream. Small private events will take place at Westward, and larger events (up to 200) will take place at the distillery next to Hollywood Tavern. "Westward has constricted space," explains Josh "We can do maybe 10-15 people, and if we stretch it, maybe a tent on the patio. Being right on the water, people want to use this space. Hollywood Tavern has the distillery next door, so we can do events while the restaurant is operating. We already have an event scheduled for January 2014."

Along with their Bacon Jam sold at 300 retailers around the country, they also offer a pumpkin sauce and fennel black pepper spread. "The pumpkin sauce will probably go away," says Josh. "We may add a few more flavors of Bacon Jam, and maybe our house-made pancake syrup. We really want to integrate items with the Skillet brand, so new items will be in line with the diner. Bacon Jam is a great brand ambassador. We may create some items from the Hollywood menu, and items from Westward would most likely be sold at Little Gull. Food retail is expensive, more so than restaurants. You really have to focus on it. You have to invest in a sales team and infrastructure, and re-up every year to stay ahead. There's lots of competition for shelf space. We'll be changing the Bacon Jam label this year so it's more noticeable on the shelves and more tied-in with Skillet."

Skillet Counter at Seattle Center's Armory is a work in progress. "It's super seasonal. We get crushed in the summer and hang on during the winter. The concept isn't fully fleshed out yet. It's not really full service and not a burger place either. It's continually evolving." Josh sees the Skillet concept growing. "We're not talking about anything quick or multiple locations, but if we find a spot that works and can handle it bandwidth-wise and not take away from what we have, we'll do it."

Skillet remains its own brand and that's how Josh wants to keep it. "I don't want to cause confusion. The Skillet brand is its own entity with its own partnership group. Beyond Skillet, my other partnerships and concepts fall under the Huxley Wallace Collective."

As the rest of us catch up with what the Huxley Wallace and Skillet crews have created this year, they'll focus on hitting the mark at each location. Then it may just start again.

Photos courtesy of Josh Henderson

Connie Adams/December 2013

Skillet Capitol Hill
1400 E Union St
Seattle, WA 98122
206-420-7297

Skillet Ballard
2034 NW 56^th St
Seattle, WA 98107
206-512-2000

Skillet Counter
Seattle Center
305 Harrison St
Seattle, WA 98109
206-428-6311

www.skilletstreetfood.com

Westward & Little Gull
2501 N Northlake Wy
Seattle, WA 98103
206-552-8215
www.westwardseattle.com

Hollywood Tavern
14508 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE
Woodinville, WA 98072
425-610-7730
www.thehollywoodtavern.com

Parchment
2915 1^st Ave S
Seattle, WA 98134

Cone & Steiner
526 19^th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112