Goodbye Larry

Seattlest is very upset today, and finding it hard to look anyone in the eye. Why are we sad? Tomorrow is the final day of business for all Larry's Markets in the Seattle area.

See? Just typing this has made us weep uncontrollably, which is very embarrassing to do in an office full of people we barely know. Now everyone is staring and making sly comments under their breath.

Granted, Seattlest could stand to be less emotional about grocery stores. Our parents always told us we needed to Nancy up a little bit, and perhaps it's time to start taking that advice to heart.

What makes it so hard for us is that we bought a house across Aurora Avenue, aka Pleasure Street, from the Larry's in North Seattle. This is not exactly the best neighborhood on the face of the planet, and has many eccentricities that might send people of lesser mettle fleeing headlong to Bellevue. But we are strong, or at least we try and appear to be.

So we bought the house, excited to have a classy grocer such as Larry's not too far from our front door. And for three years now, we've taken advantage of that convenience, ignoring such unpleasant aspects as the drug deals in nearby vacant parking lots.

After tomorrow, this will be no more.

A ray of hope came in July when a California-based group of investors offered $5.5 million for the stores with plans of maintaining the Larry's name and snooty upscale concept. Sadly, all was for naught when they were outbid by two different firms. In a last ditch attempt, they increased their offer, but were ultimately rejected as they requested a closing date of October 1st, which the current ownership could not accept due to eager creditors.

The stores are being split up: the Bellevue and Kirkland locations will become G.I. Joes. Metropolitan Market will be moving into the Queen Anne store, though they will keep the Larry's name for at least a year.

As for the three remaining - Redmond, Tukwila, and our beloved North Seattle - Larry's claims they have two grocery buyers lined up, neither of which is a "large grocery chain."

So Seattlest appreciates the good news, and harbors dreams of a nearby Metropolitan or Central Market, or perhaps even an Uwajimaya location - anything other than Safeway, Hell incarnate - though we remain sorrowful to see our favorite grocery store bid farewell.

Far worse than our inability to conveniently buy avocados at midnight, the closing of all five stores will render jobless some 500 employees, though Metropolitan Market has claimed it might hire some of that displaced workforce.