Coin flip lands pair in 'Napa of North'
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The pair had launched a similar restaurant in Las Vegas in 1997, but were ready to try another part of the country. So in early 2000, the Kurofskys flipped a quarter to decide — heads, Seattle; tails, Denver. They sold their restaurant, moved to Washington state that November and, in July 2001, they opened a 40-seat restaurant in Woodinville emphasizing food and complementary wine. A second followed in Kirkland Park Place, and the couple have begun an expansion of the Woodinville cafe.
They're also trying to appeal to more than wine drinkers. They rented a house to host private events and are opening a catering business. They recently added Sunday brunches and milk-tastings for kids, who can sample milk with chocolate, strawberry and other flavors while the adults sample wine.
"We got into this by playing customer," said Larry Kurofsky. "We tried to come up with a concept that made economic sense and would make sense in different economic times."
A few wine bars opened around Seattle in the late 1990s, but they didn't stay open long because they couldn't make a profit focusing on wine and appetizers. Restaurants that serve wine by the glass often mark up the wine so they can recoup the price of a bottle on one or two glasses of wine. The Kurofskys don't want to make that mistake.
The couple landed in what many in Woodinville and the wine industry are calling the Napa of the North. Woodinville has 14 wineries, and two proposed wine complexes are to be built just north of Chateau Ste. Michelle.
Developers are negotiating leases and looking for tenants for the projects, which are expected to include as many as 10 tasting rooms and two stand-alone wineries.
Woodinville draws more than 1 million tourists a year, and for every $1 they spend on accommodations, they spend $2.60 at other businesses, such as restaurants. The city and the Woodinville Chamber of Commerce are working together to raise the city's profile and are putting up signs to help visitors navigate the town.
The Kurofskys are betting that wine will become an even bigger draw for Woodinville. They opened their 40-seat restaurant serving lunch and dinner, with a wine list of 40 wines by the glass and 80 by the bottle.
After two years, they opened a second location in Kirkland's Park Place that seats 120 people.
Earlier this month, the couple spent $250,000 to triple the size of the Woodinville restaurant. They added a private dining room for 20, a wine loft, expanded sidewalk cafe and more extensive menu. The two restaurants won't be the only wine-related draws. The couple recently signed a lease on a 2,000-square-foot house for catered events, and plan to sell their own branded sauces and take-out meals.
"What I like is that it's one more piece of the puzzle in making the Eastside a destination for people," said Greg Lille, president and co-owner of De Lille Cellars in Woodinville. "They're bringing one more lifestyle element to Woodinville."
Eastside Business Notes appears every Wednesday in the Eastside edition of the Seattle Times.
Kristina Shevory: 206-464-2039 or kshevory@seattletimes.com