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The Royal Room—named “Best Music Venue – 2017” by readers of The Seattle Weekly—is a South Seattle music venue, restaurant and bar with a Southern-inspired menu. Co-owned by musician and composer Wayne Horvitz and longtime Seattle venue owners Tia Matthies and Steve Freeborn, the idea began as a neighborhood venue for casual drinks and food with world-class music that is easily accessible to all. Having previously operated the OK Hotel, a nightclub in Pioneer Square, with Way

In January 2004, longtime Rainier Valley resident and former Starbucks marketing executive Joe Fugere, after studying in Italy the centuries-old pizza making traditions, founded Columbia City Eateries, LLC dba Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria in historic Columbia City. Since then, the company has grown to five full-service restaurant locations throughout the greater Seattle area employing more than 200 people: Columbia City, Stone Way/Wallingford, Westlake, Issaquah and Bellev

The Rainier Valley Community Development Fund (RVCDF) is proud to announce that it has attained Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Certification from the US Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution Fund (CDFI Fund). The CDFI Fund was created for the purpose of promoting economic revitalization and community development through investment in and assistance to mission-driven community development financial institutions (CDFIs). The CDFI Certificati

Urban Impact—a health care and social service agency started in 1987—has been serving Rainier Valley families for more than 30 years. Since its inception, the organization has been committed to partnering with families and communities to break the cycle of social, material and spiritual poverty. Rainier Health and Fitness (RHF)—a subsidiary of Urban Impact—was started in 2005 in response to the lack of affordable fitness resources in the area, as well as a news story citing 9

In 2016, business partners Joe Fugere and Barry Ziker collaborated to form Garlic Gulch Partners, LLC—a real estate company with one objective: To purchase the historic Columbia City building where the original Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria—a beloved neighborhood restaurant—is located. “Our goal was to preserve both the past and the future of the business,” said Joe, Tutta Bella’s founder. The name Garlic Gulch refers to the nickname of the Rainier Valley given by South Sea

Christi Muoneke—a Nigerian immigrant who was just five years old when she and her family fled their country as refugees during the Nigeria-Biafra War—moved to South Seattle in the 1990s. Since then, she has worked as a corporate attorney, technology entrepreneur, and owner of her own successful law firm, formerly based in Columbia City. Christi is very involved in the local community and currently serves on the board of The Northwest School. She has also served on the boards

With nearly two decades in business, south Seattle-based catering company Seasoned in Seattle has successfully catered thousands of special events, including some of the city’s finest weddings. From office parties and corporate functions to wedding receptions and other life celebrations, its menus always include the freshest available local and sustainable ingredients, and the Seasoned in Seattle event team is well-known for delivering delicious meals and excellent service. B

South Seattle resident Helen “Mama” Hicks founded Tiny Tots Development Center in her home in 1969 when she could not find quality care for her own two children. Mrs. Hicks came to the conclusion that the best care was going to have to come from her own efforts and initiatives. She quit her job at University Hospital and opened her home for three children to provide them with the best day care experience since affordable quality day care services were not available at that ti

Paragon Cartage – 3G Brothers LLC is a registered Washington state motor carrier founded by Jemal Ali in 2006; he remains active in the business following its sale to two employees, now co-owners. The company provides transportation services to distributors, freight forwarders and brokers by moving import/export containers between ports and railroads to distribution centers in the Pacific Northwest, as well as in-house trucking services for some of the largest steamship lines

Big Chickie is a modern roadside chicken shack serving pollo a la brasa—charcoal-roasted rotisserie chicken, homemade sides, salads, sandwiches, beer and wine. The eatery boasts one of the best outdoor dining spaces in south Seattle. “It’s our first and only restaurant, and it’s inspired by the things we love best: good food, friends, family and community,” said south Seattle residents Matt and Sara Stubbs who opened the business in September 2014. “We make all of our food fr

Kristi Brown started her catering company, That Brown Girl Cooks! (TBGC!) in 2012, but says it’s more of a food, culture, and community organization. Together with her son, Damon Bomar, they have expanded the business with a line of black-eyed pea hummus sold in major grocers throughout Seattle, pop-up venues and interactive cooking classes. “We like to call it Culinary Collective,” says Kristi. “TBGC! explores inspirations, melds them with experiences and brings them back to

The Rainier Valley Community Development Fund’s first and longest serving business loan officer—longtime southeast Seattle resident Charleete Black—has retired. Having joined the organization when it opened its doors in 2003, Charleete worked tirelessly to reach the businesses in the path of the light rail construction that lasted five long years, being directly responsible for these businesses accessing a significant portion of the total $15.2 million in mitigation grants fu

Nguoi Viet Tay Bac, or Northwest Vietnamese News, was founded in 1986, by Vietnamese refugee Kim Pham and his wife, Hang Nga Pham. The publication was the first private Vietnamese-language newspaper in Seattle, as well as the longest-running Vietnamese-language private newspaper. “He wanted to do something that had an impact, beyond working for a big corporation,” his daughter Julie told the Northwest Asian Weekly. “So he started the newspaper.” In 2016, Northwest Vietnamese

The Rainier Valley Community Development Fund (RVCDF) is pleased to announce that it is a recipient of an award from the US Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution Fund (CDFI Fund) with a $776,500 award to support small businesses in south Seattle. Under the CDFI Program, the CDFI Fund awarded $171.1 million in Financial Assistance and Technical Assistance in 2017 to 265 organizations in 46 states and the District of Columbia. The CDFI Program invests in and bu

Jude’s Old Town is Rainier Beach’s family-friendly neighborhood bar, featuring great food, draft beer, Washington state wines and locally-distilled craft cocktails. It uses primarily locally-sourced ingredients and everything is made on-premise. Its cocktail program is creative and unmatched in Southeast Seattle. Founded in 2014 by longtime South Seattle resident Mason “Beau” Hebert and his wife Courtney—Jude’s is the sister location to Lottie’s Lounge in historic Columbia Ci

The Ethiopian Community in Seattle (ECS) is a social service organization primarily serving recently arrived East Africans in Seattle since 1983. It was organized by a group of Ethiopian immigrants, who incorporated the organization into a 501(c)3 in 1987. Its cycle of support is what makes ECS unique. “Our main goals are to ensure that our members have employment, housing, and are supported through their immigration needs,” said Meron. “Once our clients reach stability, many

Started in 1975, SEED is a nonprofit community development organization created to improve the quality of life in southeast Seattle by creating partnerships and investments in affordable housing, economic development, and arts and culture. The organization puts a special priority on those with the least opportunities and resources. “We enjoy working with the richly diverse people and businesses of southeast Seattle,” said SEED Executive Director Lance Matteson. The Claremont

In 2015, area residents Jesiah Wurtz and Haley Williams started Café Red as a coffee cart servicing several South Seattle locations, including the Columbia City and Othello light rail stations. “We soon saw the need for a casual low-cost community gathering space as well as the need for a platform for local artists and musicians to share their creativity,” said Jesiah. They found an ideal location on the northeast corner of MLK, Jr. Way and South Othello Street, but needed he

Renew Physical Therapy (PT) recently celebrated its new South Seattle space with a grand opening celebration attended by 200 guests, including patients, friends, neighbors and others.Originally founded by Rainier Valley resident Erik Norwood in 2007, the clinic serves patients from Mount Baker, Seward Park, Beacon Hill, Renton, Skyway and other nearby areas. Since its humble beginnings, the staff of two grew to eight and one massage therapist at its former Columbia City locat

Each year, the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund presents the Richard McIver Award to a local business deserving of distinction, and the 2017 award has gone to the Ethiopian Community in Seattle—serving the community for more than 30 years. Originally presented to former Seattle City Councilmember Richard McIver himself in 2012. After his passing in 2013, the award has been presented annually to an organization in the community that demonstrates Richard’s practices an