Sonic Boom to leave 15th Ave, Olympia Pizza to expand

After six years on 15th Ave E, Sonic Boom Records is moving its Capitol Hill location to Melrose between Pike and Pine. While it's a blow to the diversity of retail in the 15th Ave shopping district, the move makes way for an expansion of Olympia Pizza which is planning to stretch into the Sonic Boom space by the start of 2010.

Olympia Pizza and Spaghetti House III owner Harry Nicoloudakis said the new space will be the same old Olympia -- only bigger and better. "I've thought about a new name but I don't know," Nicoloudakis said. "We're going to have a great new restaurant space."

On the other side of the wall, love and location appear to be behind the Sonic Boom move. According to Seattle Metropolitan Magazine, the move will allow SB's owner to operate his Capitol Hill shop next door to his girlfriend's boutique, Velouria, when it also opens in a new Melrose location. The alignment mirrors the set-up the two created in Ballard where Sonic Boom and Velouria's first shop are also neighbors. Here's recent CHS coverage on the new retail and restaurants moving to Melrose.

Sonic Boom opened on 15th Ave in late 2002. Here's a blurb from the Seattle Weekly noting the new Boom:

Fortunately, while the Lord taketh away, he also giveth. Case in point: a third Sonic Boom Records store, set to open on Capitol Hill in the very near future. According to co-owner Nabil Ayers, the space will debut March 1 in a "sweet" location between the soon-to-be Walgreens and Olympic Pizza on 15th Avenue, with, he promises, "a kick-ass kick-off event."

Iron & Wine at Sonic Boom in Seattle
Originally uploaded by miss_rogue

Sonic Boom's first store opened in Fremont in 1997. It opened a second shop in Ballard in 2001 prior to its Capitol Hill expansion a year later. The Fremont location closed in January 2008.

In addition to being one of the few independent record stores in the city, the current Capitol Hill Sonic Boom location brought some interesting scenes to 15th Ave with its occasional free, all-ages shows. The shows also caused some wrinkles in the past between the record store and the neighboring pizza joint because of noise and disruption from the music. We'll have to check back with Olympia to see if they're planning any live music in the new space.