CHS comes to bury Amante’s, not to praise them (Image: sparklingallison)
There is a casualty in the great E Olive Way pot land rush. Amante Pizza will no longer be operating its infamous, pulsating display sign at the corner of E Olive Way and Denny.
Calls to the Hill pizza joint reveal that it has shut down operations at its longtime home and is referring customers to delivery from its 10th Ave E location. We’re still trying to connect with ownership to find out more about the closure.
Late last month, CHS reported on the latest jockeying for position as competing concerns race to open retail marijuana shops on E Olive Way. Uncle Ike’s and The Reef appear poised to bring the pot industry to this bottom of the Hill.
The Reef ownership, which also operates a store in Bremerton, has engaged big-time architects Olson Kundig for the “partial tenant improvement for mercantile use” set to transform the Amante building. CHS is told the retail upgrades will involve most but not all of the building.
Amante’s is known for its relatively cheap pizza, interesting assortment of delivery dudes, and, of course, the flashing sign. It went dark after complaints in the fall of 2015 before snapping back to life in the summer of 2016.
Owner George Kozhuharov took over Amante amid a wave of pizza activity on Capitol Hill in 2016. Upgrades included a slice window along E Olive Way.
For now, the Denny at E Olive Way Amante’s floats in a corporeal drift as employees inform callers the location is now “delivery only.”
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I’m all for legalization but seeing what happened on 15th right outside of the Ike’s location there doesn’t exactly have me excited.
Yeah but there were drugged-out wastoids loitering all over the Hill before MJ was legalized. Even on 15th when I moved there in 1999.
I know, it’s too bad it’s not a bar or club, because those are so much better. Or better yet, maybe it could be a grocery store, because those are islands of calm in our bustling area.
15th was always like that right there. They used to just sit out in front of the coffee shop instead.
We don’t need another Ike’s anywhere. The guy’s a jerk. I’ll check out The Reef space, but prefer Ponder and Have a Heart overall.
Luckily for us all, we can vote with our feet and our business. I’m thankful for the competition that Ike’s brings to the local market, even if I probably won’t shop there. Ponder is great and I’ve heard good things about Have a Heart too. It’s like an embarrassment of riches. We are very lucky to live here.
Amante’s owner liked to rip his employees off by not paying them for hours they were required to be at work for training, not paying overtime, and stuff like that. So good riddance!
JUST what we need!!! Another Pot shop!!! Yippppppeeeeeee! What could POSSIBLY go wrong???
What *has* gone wrong? Compared to the avg business, all the pot shops I’ve been in are run as respectably or better than the rest of the establishments in their neighborhoods. And they provide their own security, whereas most businesses don’t.
Stoner Hill.