SEATTLE — The dark clouds have parted, and the sun is shining on the Seattle waterfront.
"We're as excited as can be, see the big smile?" said Ivar's President Bob Donegan, gesturing to his grin as he looked out over Elliott Bay at the company's flagship Acres of Clams restaurant.
The staff at the Alaskan Way mainstay was scurrying about around noon on Wednesday just before a manager pushed through the doors on "Grand Re-Opening Day".
"It's a happy day on the waterfront," said Donegan, who recounted the last 16 months as one of the darkest periods in the company, and the location's history. At its summer peak, Ivar's would employ close to 200 people. The pandemic, and the related restrictions, caused the company to lay off or furlough roughly 80 percent of the staff. Donegan said almost 110 of the original crew have been brought back now as restrictions drop statewide.
"Not really sure this day would come," admitted Tom Norwalk, the President and CEO of Visit Seattle, who said Seattle's hotel/motel occupancy has lagged behind other major cities for 15 months. "It literally disappeared overnight in March of 2020. It had a lot of us in the industry wondering how we recover - can we sustain it financially?"
According to Visit Seattle, in July 2019, 89.5% of hotel rooms were occupied. Occupancy dropped to 17% in 2020 and has climbed back to a projected 61% this year. Norwalk is optimistic numbers will climb due to the opening of a new arena and convention center within a year, and the renovations on the waterfront.
"The tap has been opened and we're seeing week after week growth in our performance," he said.
Holly and Aaron Michaels of upstate Wisconsin decided that their first post-COVID-trip would be Seattle.
"We want our kids to see the world and know there is more than just amusement parks," Holly Michaels said as the family of five took a sightseeing break near the Seattle Aquarium. They will spend a week in a hotel while visiting the area. "It's pretty," she joked, "Smells like fish. I know, shocker!'
The Michaels said they had no concerns about mask policies as their home state had already reopened.
"It's been a long year, year and a half, it's good to get back and get some normalcy," said Tyler Harris, a tourist from Phoenix who said he was visiting the "coffee capital of the United States".
Donegan, who is the kind of guy who will always look at a glass half full, said he's now more optimistic than he was a few months ago. "The future is as bright as it can be on the waterfront!"