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• There’s yet another lovely little shop in the Melrose Market. Retailer of mostly local and sustainable goods Butter Home is open in the loft space above purveyor of amazing cheeses Calf and Kid. Owner Claire Corley tells us she’s crafty but doesn’t make the goods — “I don’t think people would buy anything I can make” — and that she is new to retail after working as a bartender at Quarter Lounge on Madison in recent times. On the barrels and table tops that make up the display areas in the teeny tiny Butter Home were knits and knickknacks. Check out Corley’s site to learn more.

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• Buried in our Monday food notes, of the two spaces carved out of the former Bailey Coy, one is destined to house an existing Hill tobacco shop, we’re told. We don’t know much about the Hill’s tobacco shops (but have noted the big push for “spice” sales this week before it is “banned.” What are we missing?
• New Hill karaoke joint Rock Box now says it will be open on Saturday.
• Local fashion shop Vu has moved two doors down East Pine.
• It’s not unheard of for landlords to be able to dictate all sorts of provisions in contracts. But with the soft economy, many business owners have been able to tell overbearing owners where to stick it. Hill’s hot enough, we hear, that even things like business signage fall into the rules a tenant must agree to when moving in. No, not how the sign can look. That the sign must exist. Yes, a Capitol Hill commercial landlord can require you to market your business. How about some provisions about advertising on your friendly neighborhood news blog?
• By the way, landlords, beesknees is looking for a small space to launch a “take-out concept” in. Hook em up.
• Capitol Hill Housing has the legislation and some of the funding they need to push their project at 12th and Jefferson forward. Development calls for affordable housing and ground floor retail.
• When we reported that Cranium founder Richard Tait’s new sport beverage start-up Golazo Energy had leased the old East Pike BMW space, we weren’t sure it was for more than an amazing party featuring an indoor soccer court. But Tait tells us that East Pike is now “Golazo Central” and the space is the start-up’s corporate offices. And indoor soccer field, we presume. Here’s a rather well produced video from that Golazo launch party we talked about:
  
• Speaking of start-ups, there are thousands of businesses on the Hill if you count 1-person operations (like the jseattle helmed Instivate, Corp!). The list gets significantly smaller if you are talking about classic tech start-ups like East Pike’s Robot Co-op, maker of 43things, or East Pine’s Bonanza (moved!) Substantial. Should we make a list? We’ll probably need your help.
• Thanks to all of CHS’s fantastic 2010 advertisers. It was a pleasure doing business with you.