The Leschi Lake Café, 102 Lakeside Ave., has closed after 22 years in business along the main business strip.
Mick McHugh closed the longtime neighborhood fixture Dec. 21 after selling the restaurant to Bart Evans and Dan Anderson, owners of the two BluWater Bistros in Seattle. The new restaurant will officially open for business March 13 as The BluWater Bistro-Leschi.
The new owners have already started their $350,000 renovation, which includes BluWater's trademark mahogany booths, panels and columns; an expanded bar area with couch seating and patio service; a private dining room that will seat 30; and a new roof.
Future plans include a possible rooftop deck and opening a walk-up storefront during the summers, Evans said.
The restaurant will open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, with dinner served until 1 a.m. Brunch will be offered on weekends, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Evans, who has lived in Leschi off and on for about six years, had repeatedly told McHugh over the years of his interest in buying the Leschi Lake Café location if he ever considered selling it, McHugh recalled.
They had been "talking seriously" for the last three months," he said.
"Leschi's done very well and continued to do very well," McHugh said. "It's maintained its sales every year."
But it was "purely my call," he continued. "Working retail seven days a week is always challenging."
McHugh has interest in T.S. McHugh's in lower Queen Anne and owns F.X. McRory's in Pioneer Square. It was at F.X. McRory's where he met Evans, who worked for him for about six years.
"It's better to have the right people [buying your business] than the most money [offered]," McHugh said.
While McHugh couldn't discuss how much he sold the restaurant for because of a confidentiality clause in their contract, Anderson allowed that he and Evans signed a 20-year lease, like they did with their south Lake Union and Green Lake locations.
"We've pictured ourselves in Leschi for a long time now," said Anderson, who used to frequently bike through the area. "It's good it's finally coming to fruition."
"It fits right in with what we like to do," Evans said, adding, "it's comfortable knowing the neighborhood."
And McHugh knows his employees. He said he ensured that they received "first interview rights" for positions at the new restaurant and received severance pay through the end of the year.
He also closed the restaurant before the holiday season so his employees could be with their families. But, he contends, "there's never a good time to close a restaurant."
McHugh will continue with his other restaurants: "I have plenty to keep me busy. I still feel I have a lot of energy," the 60-year-old McHugh said. "If an opportunity [for a new restaurant venture] comes along, I'll always take a look at them" - or pass them along to his restaurants' "alumni."
Now, "life just gets a little simpler," he said.
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