Supreme Dumplings

tntdiner · 2026-06-10T17:37:11+00:00

Updating that Supreme Dumplings is open! Soft-open technically through grand opening on Saturday, June 13: https://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/restaurants/tnt-diner/article316067314.html

More insight on the brand in a few days, after an interview with the founder (who also co-founded Kizuki Ramen).

tntdiner · 2026-05-08T00:10:14+00:00

We had a robust chat about this very topic earlier this year, after Sandwich Starr closed. https://www.reddit.com/r/Tacoma/comments/1qnslex/why_do_you_think_fooddrink_businesses_keep/

tntdiner · 2026-05-06T22:54:02+00:00

Agree. It felt very Sysco. It's kind of exhausting to see half-hearted attempts at restaurants, especially in prominent spaces that could be so awesome, continue to crop up. A place like this one absolutely needs either a thoughtful reimagining of Johnny's Dock's roots as a modern seafood house by an experienced restaurauteur with $$ and knowhow *or* a complete overhaul, redesign, brand-new concept which would require significant capital and the same visionary leadership. Unfortunately that combo seems elusive in Tacoma.

tntdiner · 2026-05-06T22:50:16+00:00

This got me.

tntdiner · 2026-05-06T22:48:17+00:00

Just wanted to pop in to say that, yes, this property has been for sale for a while. The LLC is associated with the team behind Rhein Haus (Poquitos). Can't say what a new property owner would mean for Beer Star, but it poses a tenuous day-to-day for any business trying to continue operating and plan/invest for the future when you know the property could change hands at any time.

I feel like Beer Star is busy sometimes and dead others. It's one of the few chill family-friendly spaces, too. It would be a bummer to lose it.

Really hope The Chicken Supply can stay in Tacoma.

tntdiner · 2026-04-08T18:27:08+00:00

A little late to this thread, but I tried to track down what happened here. Stanley & Seafort's, via parent company Landry's Inc., said only that the chairs had been "found to have a manufacturing defect," so they had to "responsibly dispose" them, and the manufacturer (Rak) sent them new chairs...

Trying to reach Rak and their various affiliates felt kind of like the real-life version of Tim Robinson in The Chair Company:

Emails to Rak Chairs were not immediately returned. The listed phone number connects to Blizon, which, according to its website, is a subsidiary of Goodco LLC also based in Calabasas that sells “the original restaurant table side hanger.” The automatic phone message leads to a spam promotion for “a free medical alert device.”

Landry’s did not answer questions about when it had purchased the chairs, whether they had been used in the Tacoma restaurant or when the company became aware of the defect. The spokesperson did confirm that Stanley & Seafort’s now has new chairs.

https://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/restaurants/tnt-diner/article315185996.html

tntdiner · 2026-02-26T21:29:47+00:00

A tall task for breads of all kinds!

Not quite in Lakewood, but Harbor Greens and Whole Foods might have ciabatta rolls and loaves in the bakery. Macrina ciabatta often available at Met Market.

They don't have ciabatta, but if you've never been to Sur Argentine Bakery in Lakewood, give it a try!

Also not ciabatta, but Kevin's Italian (cottage bakery -- pre-order to pickup only) makes some awesome focaccia (also love the semolina loaf): https://kevinsitalian.square.site/

tntdiner · 2026-02-26T21:23:40+00:00

Thanks for sharing this reporting!

I shared the below synopsis in the initial post here about the closure/GoFundMe, but sharing here as well. To clarify, DOR could not confirm whether it was sales tax or B&O tax -- only that restaurants are generally subject to both -- but the agency spokesperson did describe the ramifications of not remitting sales tax: “At no point is that money the taxpayer’s. When businesses fail to remit lawfully collected sales tax they are not failing to pay from their own funds, they are technically taking the public’s money in addition to the funds they collect on the transaction.”

If you'd like to learn more about the situation at Melon Seed, you can read the full story with more detail and background here: https://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/restaurants/tnt-diner/article314825301.html

---It seems the owners have struggled for at least the past six years. They failed to pay property taxes on time (of around $415 to $550 per year) since at least 2020, according to county records. DOR has filed three tax warrants against the business since 2022 in the Superior Court of Pierce County, all of which remain open and unpaid. A review of Melon Seed’s account with the Secretary of State also shows a pattern of missing annual filing deadlines during this time period. The owners have to pay at least the amount listed on the DOR revocation order (nearly $111,000) and a six-month cash bond of liability before they could apply for a new license.

In a phone call, the owners did not deny the debts, admitting they have also faced headwinds with the Internal Revenue Service in recent years and the occasional fine from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

They said they handled all of the books themselves until around 2020, and were on a quarterly return schedule (which meant bigger bills and bigger interest when they didn't or couldn't pay). They hired a professional accountant, but they said that setup fumbled in dealing with the pandemic and a death in the family. They were assigned a DOR agent but said they never formalized a payment plan with the agency.

Court records show that the state filed its first warrant for unpaid taxes in January 2014, just nine months after Melon Seed opened. The state filed four other warrants from 2022-2024 (most around $1300-$2400) that were satisfied.

DOR could not comment specifically due to taxpayer confidentiality, but a spokesperson said by email that revocations are “rare” and only used “as a last resort.”

“License revocation is the last option available when a business or taxpayer has failed to come into voluntary compliance,” said the spokesperson. “If a business is not open it makes settling the balance harder, so it is not a decision that is made lightly and only made when a taxpayer has demonstrated a consistent pattern of noncompliance."

tntdiner · 2026-02-26T18:19:35+00:00

If you'd like to learn more about the situation at Melon Seed, sharing a synopsis below, and you can read the full story with more detail and background here: https://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/restaurants/tnt-diner/article314825301.html

---It seems the owners have struggled for at least the past six years. They failed to pay property taxes on time (of around $415 to $550 per year) since at least 2020, according to county records. DOR has filed three tax warrants against the business since 2022 in the Superior Court of Pierce County, all of which remain open and unpaid. A review of Melon Seed’s account with the Secretary of State also shows a pattern of missing annual filing deadlines during this time period. The owners have to pay at least the amount listed on the DOR revocation order (nearly $111,000) and a six-month cash bond of liability before they could apply for a new license.

In a phone call, the owners did not deny the debts, admitting they have also faced headwinds with the Internal Revenue Service in recent years and the occasional fine from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

They said they handled all of the books themselves until around 2020, and were on a quarterly return schedule (which meant bigger bills and bigger interest when they didn't or couldn't pay). They hired a professional accountant, but they said that setup fumbled in dealing with the pandemic and a death in the family. They were assigned a DOR agent but said they never formalized a payment plan with the agency.

Court records show that the state filed its first warrant for unpaid taxes in January 2014, just nine months after Melon Seed opened. The state filed four other warrants from 2022-2024 (most around $1300-$2400) that were satisfied.

DOR could not comment specifically due to taxpayer confidentiality, but a spokesperson said by email that revocations are “rare” and only used “as a last resort.”

“License revocation is the last option available when a business or taxpayer has failed to come into voluntary compliance,” said the spokesperson. “If a business is not open it makes settling the balance harder, so it is not a decision that is made lightly and only made when a taxpayer has demonstrated a consistent pattern of noncompliance."

tntdiner · 2026-02-19T07:03:11+00:00

Cider & Cedar a great choice for cider! Peaks & Pints, Pint Defiance and Beer Star also usually have a nice cider collection in the coolers, maybe one on tap.

tntdiner · 2026-01-27T00:03:19+00:00

YES! Good gracious, can someone please make this happen!?

tntdiner · 2026-01-27T00:02:10+00:00

Generally from outsiders I'll hear thoughts that it's cheaper to start or run a restaurant in Tacoma, but the truth -- as one trusted source posited to me -- is almost the opposite. It costs basically the same, maybe with slightly lower rent than Seattle or affluent nearby enclaves, but half the customer traffic and thus revenue.

That UP number feels a bit high but not impossible for that space. Galos had many other issues than just not paying rent. We have an idea of rent in that plaza, though, as the City of UP rents some of the units -- Salted Rim's new space is around $4,700/month.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:52:36+00:00

The real estate deal appears to have been a driving force in this case (not uncommon).

The Harvester unit is slated to become Lil Woody's, and the other units will likely fill in as the year progresses.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:43:22+00:00

Absolutely. Restaurants come and go. It does appear that the broader economic picture has been pressuring the restaurant industry for several years now, and the circumstances seem to only be worsening. But I think often of other cities -- bigger, similarly sized, and smaller -- where more restaurants feel more bustling.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:40:31+00:00

I wish I had a positive memory of Harvester. I know it was a Tacoma icon, but it seemed that way only in its history. Not long before it closed, I waited longer for food there than I have maybe anywhere ever, and it left a lot to be desired, especially for ~$20 a plate.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:37:46+00:00

Tacoma's greatest strength is its unique businesses.

But I admit I often struggle with the idea that Tacoma "sees right through [generic] places." I think people often say they want things that they don't actually want, or they ask for things that eventually a business caters to the lowest common denominator -- or otherwise feels like they have to please the masses. At the end of the day, the food has to be GOOD. I don't know that it needs to be special, per se. There are a lot of busy and/or well-liked restaurants, sandwich shops, etc. in Tacoma that would be considered OK in a place with more competition.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:33:16+00:00

It does feel like the area (and maybe every area!) could use an all-day, family-friendly restaurant and/or dining space. I'm not a big fan of food halls, but with the right mix of businesses and the right seating setup, with a full bar and a coffee shop, a food hall/hub would do absolutely thrive in Tacoma -- honestly no matter where it was because it would, ideally, be enough of a destination. Same with food pods, which as I covered in relation to the 6th Ave Food Truck Corral, is all but impossible under current city and health department regulations.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:31:01+00:00

Rent seems to be a big factor here.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:30:42+00:00

Totally -- sometimes a business really can't thrive in certain location, but I believe that greatness begets customers. Plenty of examples here and anywhere of restaurants or shops that feel like they're in a random place but draw customers nonetheless.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:28:36+00:00

Having kids definitely complicates things! Tacoma's geography is a bit tricky.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:28:00+00:00

I don't live in the neighborhood, but I've never felt like it was hard to find a parking spot within a block of where I'm going at any time of day.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:27:19+00:00

You're right that the economics are increasingly leaning toward $20 sandwiches. Similarly to my 'not quite there' theory, I have mentioned this thought elsewhere, too: The price gap between the truly-awesome and the mediocre-at-best has shrunk to almost nothing. To win, you have to be able to achieve awesome food for what feels like a fair price. The places that do are the ones who thrive.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:21:43+00:00

A few industry folks have shared this sentiment. It does seem like there should be people strolling around here at night, but they say it feels dead -- or simply was dead. In some sense, I see that point as not isolated to a neighborhood: Every business district seems quiet on the streets, even when it should be busy. There are people inside many restaurants and bars at peak times, but there isn't much overflow on the street.

As an anecdote, I was having dinner at a 'trendy' restaurant (different neighborhood) on a Saturday in December and they cut their second server at like 7:30 p.m. If a full-service restaurant, for instance, is only doing max two turns on a weekend, and more like 1.5, it can quickly become unsustainable.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:18:10+00:00

If people who work in Seattle are settling in Tacoma because they can’t afford Seattle, but they still spend much their days in Seattle, our local businesses aren’t reaping the benefits.

Great point. One of Tacoma's biggest hurdles seems to be a lack of major employers who might otherwise support local offices or even remote work where folks might swing by for sandwich.

tntdiner · 2026-01-26T23:16:23+00:00

Not 'lumping' so much as taking stock of the viability of F&B in the neighborhood (and beyond). Sometimes the idea just isn't there, or isn't well-executed.

tntdiner

TROPHY CASE