5 years later...

Exactly 5 years ago the world seemed to unravel; it felt like a Hollywood disaster movie. I remember one of my employees saying ‘do you think we’ll be closed for more than 2 weeks?’ And I knew…it would be way longer than that.

Fast forward to March 15th, 2025. We still have our core crew (including 5 team members who were with us in 2020) and are pushing every day to make our guests happy. Hospitality in this day and age is a very rocky place. Costs are skyrocketing: food, wine (stay tuned on that mess?) utilities, insurance, maintenance, etc. The big picture can be overwhelming. When I look around at our entire crew and how they enjoy work-how much they take ownership of what they do for a living- it makes it easier. My lovely work family…

Two guests stopped in for a meal at the bar last night. They noticed the familiar faces. They said they felt comfortable and cared for; as though they were in a safe place away from the blustering world outside.

I look how far we have come since the darkness that was 2020. My team makes the tough days easier. I can only continue to be grateful.

Beacons of Hope

Today is our golden retriever’s 3rd birthday. She brings such unconditional love to our little family. She does not judge. She does not ask for more than we can offer (well…usually.) She just is, in all her sweetness, an energy giver. The embodiment of hope.

This year, I am hyper-focused on nurturing the good things in the world as well as how we can support each other. Community is so important. Creating new opportunities and caring for those in my circle and beyond. According to Merriam-Webster, taking it one day at a time means, “to deal with each day's problems as they come instead of worrying about the future.“ The phrase is commonly used as advice when someone is thinking too far ahead or expecting issues or change overnight. Sometimes things come at us at an insane pace - and we can’t hide our heads in the sand. We just have to breathe and reboot. And then we make the decisions that lead us forward. This is where I choose to exist for now.

Happiest Birthday to our sweet Elysees…we love you!

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
Martin Luther King, Jr

Fresh Perspective

We are, all of us, beginning to wrap up this year. I noticed I have been writing less and I think it’s a reflection of the strange weight of 2024. There is an eerie sense of familiarity to certain aspects of life. And at the same time so many unprecedented things have happened over the last 11 months.

As we look to 2025, there will be challenges, both personal and professional. This is a certainty. What we can do is stay strong, positive and focused. Be kind to yourselves and each other. Lead with grace. Celebrate the little things. Practice self care. Reflect and refocus. Sharing the excerpt below as we move forward - together.

“You have overcome every single thing that has been unexpected, that has been heartwrenching, that has not gone your way. You have built a life within the complete unknown, you have reconstructed a new version of yourself from the pieces of what you thought would be. You have always contained within yourself the remarkable strength of the human spirit, and no matter what tomorrow will bring, you will carry that power into it, too.”

from The Pivot Year, by Brianna Wiest

Critical Mass

Hi friends!

Just a heads up…the Ballard Bridge is being upgraded for the next 6 weeks or so starting next weekend (Friday, September 27th.) This means that we are going to be dealing with a likely loss of business for those that need to utilize the bridge to get here. Thursdays will still have normal bridge service. Note that you can reach us via the Fremont Bridge to Leary as well as Aurora/99 to N 45th or N 65th Streets. Also: If you’re running late just give us a call and let us know! We’ll make it as easy as we can on our end…

Also, when you’re here, ask about ISHA (Indie Seattle Hospitality Alliance.) We are running a pilot promo called Nourish Seattle which encourages visits to various ISHA businesses across the city. The first 10 folks to get 5 different stamps from participating properties get to attend (with a +1) a gala hosted by the chefs and owners…details at indieseattlehospitality.org

Happy Fall!

Happy Birthday, Copine

Happy Birthday, Copine.

We turn 8 years old today…and the world is in a much different place than it was when we opened. It’s been a journey.

It’s a great feeling to be called out as singular in the field; one we are proud of and share with our team. Ultimately, though, it’s love of what we do that keeps us engaged, creating and pushing.

Many local restaurants including Copine are struggling at present; economic and environmental factors combined with the state of the country - and world - have created some hurdles. For a few months now, we have been meeting with small independently owned restaurants, bars and businesses in the hospitality sector here in the Seattle area. 
The collective conversations and shared experiences have given all of us an extra motivation. The Indie Seattle Hospitality Alliance (ISHA) has formed and planted some seeds. IG (@indie.seattle.hospitality)

When choosing where to spend your dining dollars: please keep small, independently owned properties in mind. They are what keep Seattle interesting and unique.  As they say: ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.’ Happy Birthday to our little train that keeps on chugging, despite global pandemics and the like. Thank you to our amazing guests for your support.

And thank you to our people - past and present - for your immeasurable contributions. You are the reason. Let’s go year eight…

The Landscape of Restaurants...

Having been in this business for 30 + years, I would say I have a pretty good grasp of restaurant trends. However, what’s happening now is of note…and it’s not something I have seen before. Even in the 2008 crash (I was living in New York City at that point) I still saw people going out regularly in all sectors of dining.

I am hearing from colleagues near and far about restaurants being slower. Strikingly, painfully slower. These comments started circulating back in October and have continued pretty consistently since then. It could be all manner of factors…the state of the world, economics, seasonality. Who knows? What I do know is that it’s harder for restaurants right now.

Using Copine as an example: we shoot for about 50 guests per night and have not had issue with hitting that number since we re-opened in late 2021. (Last year was pretty irregular…James Beard brings a different business level and set of circumstances. It was just always busy.) But not quite halfway through 2024…it’s quieter than I have seen before. We get to 50 some nights…but it’s a slow build to get there. On top of that…we have a full crew that we pay quite well. They work hard, are loyal and are pushed each week to be better than the last. So that’s the gravy…that’s the part that makes sense. Making a career in hospitality desirable.

When I look at something like renewing a lease I think you can’t keep making change in this industry unless you stay in the industry. But is that doable? Is it going to become too stressful? I don’t know. I guess the next couple of years will help us decide…

No Surprises

I wanted to address something that appears to be an easily fixed problem for a very small group of our diners: everything you need to know before dining with us appears on our website and is visible on our menu before ordering.

There are no surprises as to costs or dishes we are serving. This restaurant is inherently French technique driven and we write a new menu every week. These are posted on Sundays so that there is ample time to change your plans if our offerings are not quite what you are looking for. On top of that, we accommodate an extraordinary amount of dietary restrictions to the best of our ability.

I mention this for the few diners that take issue with what we are serving on any given evening or the costs associated with providing that experience. All of these things are spelled out in the FAQ section of our website. Prices for everything are rising, as you can tell by a trip to any grocery store. Our choice here at Copine is not to add line item service charges to a diner’s check. Instead, we take 2% of our total food sales every night and add that directly into our cook’s paychecks. Seattle is an expensive city and we want our culinary team to thrive both professionally and financially.

As my husband’s father says : “you don’t go to McDonald’s and expect Burger King.” Everything is not for everybody…and that’s okay. However, life is full of choices we make: and some of those are to try new things. Managing expectations is a shared responsibility.

Let's go Seattle!!

Hi friends! Extending huge congrats to the nods for the James Beard Awards! A great group of Seattle folks are on the long list…support them! This attention brings all kinds of benefits…and a different sort of self imposed pressure. Remember to be kind and know that the restaurant business is hard; remind your local faves that they rock. And that - at the end of the day - they are all already winners…

Best of luck…we are rooting for all of you!

Jill and Shaun