Ivar’s is losing its spot at Sea-Tac Airport. But local icon is putting up a fight
Ivar’s Fish Bar’s 12-year stay at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s Central Terminal is coming to an end and the Seattle-based seafood restaurant isn’t happy.
The Seattle seafood chain lost out on a bid for the space in the central terminal. Ivar’s has launched a campaign to save its spot.
“We are shocked and saddened by this news since we believe Ivar’s is exactly the kind of restaurant the Port says it wants at Sea-Tac to welcome travelers from around the world to our area,” says a comment on the front page of keepivars.com. The website includes a “Take Action” page with a form letter supporters can sign and email to port commissioners.
We're shocked and saddened that the @PortofSeattle isn't renewing our @SeaTacAirport lease. Tell them to #KeepIvars: https://t.co/vNGTtiNjvw https://t.co/RcnwRwmlnM
— Ivar's Clam (@IvarsClam) June 8, 2017
In a video posted on the website Ivar’s president Bob Donegan said “We’d like to stay but the port’s staff has recommended that our lease end.” Port officials told KOMO that the restaurant’s 10-year lease expired in 2015.
“We have an open, transparent bid process,” Ports spokesman Perry Cooper told the Seattle Times. “The idea is to allow new businesses to compete at the airport, to offer more opportunities for businesses, including small and minority-owned businesses, to get a space at the airport.”
Bids reportedly were rated on experience, concept, design, rent proposal, operations, job quality and small business participation.
"We think the Port staff defined a bad process. The selection criteria were not good," Donegan told the Seattle Times. "The people who sat on the evaluation panel were not experienced in business, let alone managing airport restaurants and they made bad choices."
A bidding process for locations elsewhere at the airport is planned for this summer.
“We hope they will compete in the next round of opportunities,” read a statement posted Thursday on the Port’s Twitter page.
If you’re reading about Ivar’s at Sea-Tac Airport, there’s a little more to the story. https://t.co/uEbw2vAjD2 pic.twitter.com/Y8zmlLVzde
— Port of Seattle (@PortofSeattle) June 9, 2017
It is unclear what restaurant will take Ivar’s location in the central terminal.
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497, @AdventureGuys
This story was originally published June 9, 2017 at 7:23 AM with the headline "Ivar’s is losing its spot at Sea-Tac Airport. But local icon is putting up a fight."