Friday, January 30, 2015

#2HoursinSLU – Lunchbox Laboratory


Mark Durfor, General Manager, Lunchbox Laboratory SLU
Nobody does the 2-hour lunch rush quite like Lunchbox Laboratory. From the Kool-Aid and Tang on the drinks menu and the fully-loaded burgers, to the upstairs Rumpus Room, Lunchbox Laboratory provides an “unapologetically fun” lunch environment for the thousands of people, both workers and residents, who lunch in SLU.

Mark Durfor, general manager of Lunchbox Laboratory in SLU, says the restaurant serves 200 people or more during a lunch time that’s anything but typical. That’s a lot of towering burgers, heaps of fries and deluxe shakes.

“It all comes together to provide a full, fun, delicious experience,” Mark said.

The restaurant does brisk business at dinnertime, too, and Mark, completing his first month on the job, has had less time than he’d like to explore all of what SLU has to offer. But he recognizes the booming expansion in what is the fastest growing neighborhood in Seattle.

 “I think I pass a dozen construction sites on the way in every morning,” he said.

He sees an opportunity in all of those cranes to greet new neighbors, make connections and forge new partnerships. And while SLU is growing rapidly, it hasn’t lost its identity.

“It still has that local feel,” Mark said. From classic eateries like 13 Coins and Paddy Coyne’s Irish Pub to pioneering biotech organizations like Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the neighborhood is home to many Seattle institutions. The Ivan Salverry Mixed Martial Arts gym is the latest place to catch his eye – it could be his next workout spot.

“Here it’s all local – it’s a unique neighborhood in Seattle.”


We couldn’t agree more.


Friday, January 23, 2015

South Lake Union Chamber announces winners of the 2014 excellence in business awards

This year's recipients for Excellence in Business, Excellence in Sustainability, Retailer of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year were announced on Wednesday, January 21 at the SLU Chamber’s annual awards breakfast.

Amazon.com is the recipient of 2014 Excellence in Business for a large business. Amazon is a renowned global organization committed to their presence in South Lake Union, which can be seen in many of their large-scale community efforts. They chose to invest in South Lake Union because an urban campus has many unique benefits – which is why they continue to expand here.

CaffĂ© Torino is the recipient of 2014 Excellence in Business for a small business. Caffe Torino opened its doors in October 2012.  In close to three years, the cafe has become a destination for many workers and residents who go there daily for coffee or lunch. Caffe Torino has a great reputation of excelling in business and community support.

Zipcar is the 2014 Excellence in Sustainability recipient. Zipcar is a pioneer as the world’s leader in car sharing with nearly a million active members, for the past 15 years. In the coming year they look forward to bringing more Zip to more places across the globe and right here in South Lake Union.
Seattle Children's Research Institute (SCRI) received the award for 2014 Nonprofit of the Year. Located in downtown Seattle’s biotech corridor, SCRI is pushing the boundaries of medical research to find cures for pediatric diseases and improve outcomes for children all over the world.

Whole Foods Market – South Lake Union is the recipient for Retailer of the Year. Whole Foods is proud to be a corner stone in South Lake Union Community for the past 8 years. They are a place to gather and an anchor for the community. They have found it very exciting to see this area grow up around them and look forward to being part of the continued growth.

Dena Lee is the 2014 Volunteer of the Year recipient. Dena Lee is a resident of the Cascade neighborhood of SLU. She is a creative dance educator and a retired catering chef. She is an arts advocate and one of the founding co-chairs of the SLU Art Walk. Dena believes that the arts can be a catalyst for positive change resulting in stronger, healthier community.

The SLU Chamber hosted their 7th Annual Awards breakfast at SpringHill Suites. Vulcan Real Estate and Recology were sponsors of the event. Athletic Awards Company provided awards for recipients.

There was also a panel discussion hosted by South Lake Union Community Council President, Mike McQuaid. Panel guests included Jon Scholes, President and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association; Renee Klein, SLU Resident; Ron Johnson, Executive Director of Transportation Choices Coalition; and Robert S. Arron, Senior Director at Vulcan Real Estate.

The panel discussed issues to support the SLU Chambers theme of "SLU 20/20: The vision for today and 5 years from now. The panel was tasked to answer the question "Is South Lake Union relevant?" The conclusion by the panel and audience was a resounding yes.

Front row: Curt Archambault, SLU Chamber Board President; Megan Nelson, Director of Community Relations, Seattle Children's Research Institute; Tami Littlefield, Store Team Leader, Wholefoods Market-South Lake Union; Dena Lee, SLU Resident and Volunteer; Ben Grace, Marketing Specialist, Amazon
Back row: Brandon Bills, Marketing & Community Relations Team Leader, Wholefoods Market-South Lake Union; Andrea Florissi, Owner, Caffe Torino; Kaleb Miller, General Manger, Zipcar
Photo credit: Lifestring Photography

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Happy New Year from our SLU Chamber Board President

On behalf of the SLU Chamber Board of Directors, I want to wish you a happy and prosperous New Year! If last year was any indication, we have much to look forward to in 2015. We continue to see unprecendented growth and innovation in our area, with new businesses, restaurants and residents moving into South Lake Union.


I have a friend who jokes that he only celebrates birthdays that end in 0's and 5's. 2015 is a pivotal year as we look back at the last five years of growth and then envision what the next five years will look like. The SLU Chamber will turn nine in September, and in anticipation of hitting the decade mark, we are looking to be an organization that truly reflects this world-class neighborhood. This year is all about 20/20 vision, seeing clearly, as we look forward towards the year 2020.

We'd like to thank the following members for their support and sponsorship in 2014:


We still have a limited number of sponsorship opportunities available in 2015, and these can be a terrific way to market your business. Chamber events and programs are highly publicized, and so are our sponsors!

Sponsorship benefits could include:

  • Prominent logo visibility on event promotion materials and event webpage
  • Public recognition and the opportunity to promote your brand during breakfast or lunch meetings
  • Exclusive brand awareness building via marketing material placement at tables
  • Complimentary registrations to events
  • Recognition in SLU Review
  • Recognition on the SLU Chamber's social media channels

If you're interested in learning more about how you can sponsor an upcoming 2015 SLU Chamber event, please contact Jodie King today.

Happy New Year!
Curt Archambault
President, SLU Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Business Partner, People and Performance Strategies

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

SLU 20/20: The Vision for Today and the Next 5 Years

On Wednesday, January 21, the SLU Chamber is proud to host our 7th Annual Awards Breakfast at SpringHill Suites. Join us by registering today!

We will honor outstanding achievement in the categories of Excellence in Business, Volunteer of the Year, Retailer of the Year, Non-Profit of the Year, and Sustainability.

Please join us for this community celebration. This is an excellent opportunity to network and learn about the future of SLU.

The South Lake Union Community Council President, Mike McQuaid, will moderate a panel of local experts to offer their thoughts on South Lake Union now, and how they see it being shaped over the next five years.

Panel guests:

 Jon Scholes, President and CEO
 Downtown Seattle Association

Renee Klein, SLU Resident
American Lung Association
 Rob Johnson, Executive Director
 Transportation Choices Coalition
Robert S. Arron, Senior Director
Vulcan Real Estate







We'd like to thank Vulcan, our presenting sponsor. Vulcan Real Estate continues to change the face of South Lake Union through their innovative development. Their Chairman, Paul Allen, was recently named Philanthropist of the Year. Vulcan Real Estate has several projects currently underway in South Lake Union, including the new home for the Allen Institute.

Our supporting sponsor is Recology CleanScapes. Recology sees a world without waste, where resources are used and re-used in a sustainable ecosystem that strives for their best and highest use. They service many buildings in South Lake Union.

Athletic Awards Company provides our awards for this event. They were also our 2013 recipient for Excellence in Small Business. Athletic Awards' owner, Monty Holmes, will be announcing this year's award recipients.

You can see all previous award winners on our website.

Do you have questions you'd like to ask our panel about the future of South Lake Union? Let us know in the comments, or send them to us at info@sluchamber.org.