The 98th Avenue property near the north end of Juanita Bay Park where several restaurants have come and gone over the years apparently will become a coffee shop, according to City of Kirkland planners.
Originally a Jack in the Box, the long empty building at 11451 98th Ave NE in downtown Juanita was built in 1969 and has been a variety of restaurants. They included sushi and Greek restaurants and most recently a Casual Dining location.
Resurfacing and striping work began recently on the parking lot, prompting a visit by the City of Kirkland Planning Department. Christian Geitz, assistant planner, said the striping work revealed the structure would have a drive-through service, which is not allowed in the city code at the location because of the intense traffic situation there and ingress-egress issues.
A stop-work order was issued and the contractor told planners the owner was creating a coffee shop. Geitz said since the work to put a coffee shop there required no major reconstruction, a building permit is not required, just a city business license.
King County records show the property is owned by Yang Xiaowei, who bought it in 2011 for $850,000.
The photo with this story was posted Monday on the Kirkland Patch Facebook page, eliciting many responses from people reminiscing about the structure’s former incarnations, most of them short-lived, and thoughts about its likelihood of success as a coffee shop.
What do you think? Do you remember it back in the day as Jack in the Box? Please tell us in the comments box below.
