White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Thanks to Gil for the tip, and apologies we didn’t have this sooner – if you haven’t already been to the Khmer New Year Street Festival on 98th east of 16th, you have until 5 pm – performances, food, more!

By Anne Higuera
Reporting for White Center Now and West Seattle Blog

Greenbridge has a place for brunch again, and for lunch and dinner, or just coffee or a cocktail. Zoco Cafe and Wine (9901 8th Ave SW) aims to be a neighborhood gathering spot that just so happens to have excellent food and a menu with local wines. “We want everyone to feel like they can come here and stay–catch up with friends and family,” says Amador Coyantes, who soft-opened the restaurant early this month with his sister and co-proprietor Silvia Camarillo and plans a grand opening starting May 1. Coyantes says he’s attended church just down the street for years, so this location just felt right.

(Server Nicole Macias with her uncle, Zoco co-owner Amador Coyantes)
The response has been far beyond what they expected. “Amazing! We didn’t do any marketing. It was a soft opening with all the neighbors around.” Camarillo’s daughter Nicole Macias says the first days serving guests made it clear how much the community needed a new restaurant after the Greenbridge Cafe closed last November after 14 years. “They’re seeing everyone, bringing their friends. It’s really welcoming. People say they’re super excited to have lunch and dinner here.”

The only thing obviously missing during the first couple of weeks of Zoco Cafe and Wine’s soft open was the wine. “We finally got the liquor license last week,” Coyantes says, and that means they are now polishing up a list of Washington state wines to feature along with their cocktail menu. That also means they’re ready to put on a grand opening celebration, scheduled for May 1st, 2nd and 3rd. “We want to bring some music, have gift cards and other surprises,” he says.

The brunch menu is a mix of traditional American and Mexican dishes, and for dinner, many American and Italian options, a natural choice given Coyantes and Camarillo’s 30 years of restaurant experience, much of it with Italian food. The options are tantalizing. For brunch, options include a Dulce de Leche french toast with a Mezcal sauce, walnuts and caramelized banana; a gluten-free Avocado toast with eggs, and a fried chicken and waffle dish. But it’s the Chilaquiles Verdes with a house-made poblano sauce that they say has some customers coming back daily to order. For dinner, there are appetizers, burgers, salads, pastas and even a ribeye steak. Coyantes says the Italian dishes in particular have been a hit. “People love the pastas. We want to keeping going in that direction,” he says. “Eventually we want to do homemade fresh pasta.”

For those who come in regularly, Zoco is offering a loyalty rewards program to earn discounts off future meals. Food can be ordered to go through Toast, Uber Eats and DoorDash. While their website is being developed, they are keeping customers up to date on Instagram. Zoco Cafe and Wine serves their brunch menu 8 am-3 pm Tuesdays-Sundays and stays open for dinner until 9 pm Thursdays-Saturdays. They are closed Mondays.

It was a huge hit in West Seattle, and now the Joiner Jamboree has a sequel in White Center on May 16, with a pre-func the night before. Here’s the announcement!

White Center Joiner Jamboree & Film Screening: Two Events, One Inspiring Weekend of Connection

Community is better in person. For those looking to find their people or their purpose, mark your calendars for May 15–16, when two back-to-back events invite White Center area residents to gather, connect, and be inspired to get involved.

This unique weekend pairing features a documentary film screening and a community fair, both designed to spark civic engagement and deepen local belonging.

Saturday, May 16, 2026 — White Center Joiner Jamboree
Continue the momentum on Saturday at the White Center Joiner Jamboree, a vibrant community fair bringing together over 40 local clubs and organizations from White Center and West Seattle, co-sponsored by White Center Solidarity, West Seattle Timebank, and the White Center Community Development Association.

From service groups and social clubs to creative collectives and outdoor organizations, this event is your one-stop opportunity to explore local involvement and meet new friends.

Event & Registration Link: hactionnetwork.org/events/joiner-jamboree?source=direct_link&

Location: Evergreen High School, 830 SW 116th Street

Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Admission: Free (pre-registration appreciated but not required)

Experience the film (info below) Friday, then explore the connections Saturday. Together, these events offer an inspiring invitation to rediscover the power of joining in—and to make a difference right here in White Center.

Email: westseattlejoiners@gmail.com

Confirmed Clubs/Groups at White Center Joiner Jamboree

34th District Democrats

A Cleaner Alki

Acts on Stage

Buy-Nothing Groups–West Seattle & White Center

Campfire

Democratic Socialists of America DSA

DNDA (Bog Project)

Dubsea Coffee

Feeding the Cauldron

Girl Scouts of Western Washington

King County Office of Emergency Management

Kiwanis Club of West Seattle (White Center Kiwanis)

Morbidly Curious Book Club

Mountview Elementary PTA

Mr. B’s Mead Center

North Highline Unincorporated Area Council

Rat City Art Walk (3rd Thursdays)

Rolling Scones Ukulele Group

Rotary Club of Burien/White Center

Salvation Army White Center Corps. & Community Center

Seventh Day Adventist Breath of Life

Shark Garden

Shorewood PTA

Steve Cox Park Log Cabin Teen Center

Voter Registration Table–Staffed by LWVSKC

Weed Warriors

West Seattle Amateur Radio Club

West Seattle Book Club

West Seattle Home Depot Adopt-A-Corner (NDLON)

West Seattle Indivisible

West Seattle Rock Club

West Seattle Time Bank

Westside Interfaith Network

White Center Business Alliance

White Center Community Development Association

White Center Food Bank

White Center Heights PTA

White Center Pride

White Center Solidarity (& their working groups as follows):

WCS–Block Buddies

WCS–Community Care
WCS–Community Skill Share
WCS–Immigrant Support

WCS–Rapid Response

The night before, a pre-func of sorts – a film screening:

Friday, May 15, 2026 — Film Screening: “Join or Die”

Kick off the weekend with a thought-provoking documentary hosted by West Seattle Timebank, White Center Solidarity & the White Center Community Development Association. “Join or Die” explores the importance of participation in clubs, organizations, and civic groups—and why community connection is key to both a longer life and a thriving democracy.

After the film, stay for an engaging audience discussion about how participation can strengthen neighborhoods right here in White Center.

Event Details:
Location: Evergreen High School, 830 SW 116th
Time: Doors open at 6:30 PM | Film begins at 7:00 PM | Discussion until ~9:00 pm
Admission: Free (pre-registration appreciated but not required)
Tickets: Register via Eventbrite

Just announced by the White Center Food Bank, three events:

eApril 16, 5–7 p.m. — The White Center Food Bank will celebrate the debut of our first recipe book, “Bringing People Together, One Plate at a Time,” during the Rat City Art Walk.

The book features recipes from customers, staff, and community partners, showcasing the diverse flavors of the White Center community. Guests can enjoy light appetizers and beverages, preview the book, and place pre-orders at the event.

This event is a preview and pre-order opportunity. An official launch will be announced at a later date.

TASTE OF WHITE CENTER, PRESENTED BY WHITE CENTER FOOD BANK, JUNE 20, 12 PM-3 PM
You’re invited to White Center Food Bank’s 5 th Annual Taste of White Center (World Cup Edition) on June 20 th from 12-3 pm.

With 35+ restaurants participating, attendees purchase $5 tickets to try a variety of foods like banh mi sandwiches, tacos, bubble tea, shave ice, and much, much more. Join us for a fun-filled event with food, kids’ area, music and more!

More info coming soon!

White Center Food Bank Benefit Concert at Tim’s Tavern, May 8 , 6 PM – 10 PM
Join us for a White Center Food Bank Benefit Concert at Tim’s Tavern on May 8 th . We’ll start off the night with the rock and soul of Roxbury Saints, then we’ll move to the high energy ska of The Kings of Seattle and finish the night with the latin soul and warm-weather music of The Pazific.

Come dance with us and keep the community fed. Doors open at 6 pm, show at 7 pm, $25 (+fees). Tickets available here

Bring shelf-stable food to donate and all proceeds benefit White Center Food Bank.

Protesters gathered at 8th SW and SW 108th in White Center this afternoon, and sent us these photos. They say ICE activity, including detentions/arrests, is ramping up in the White Center/Burien/West Seattle area, and they want people to know, because they believe there’s a general perception that not much is happening around here so far.

They say the agents’ actions happen quickly and without warning, within a matter of minutes. We have no details yet of exactly what happened in the case people are protesting today but they say it was less than a week ago.

Now that it’s April, it’s almost Duwamish Alive! time. Support your local ecosystem – the official announcement explains how:

Duwamish Alive! Celebrate Earth Month by Caring for Our Duwamish River
Volunteer on Saturday, April 18, 10 am-2 pm

Join us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Duwamish Alive! while caring for Seattle’s only RIVER — the Duwamish, as we work together to improve its health. Volunteers will be restoring native habitat on in multiple urban parks and open spaces from Seattle to Kent in the ongoing effort to keep our river alive and healthy for our communities, salmon and the Puget Sound. Proving that by working together, we can make a substantial difference in improving the health of our region. We be working at sites, from Kent to Seattle to restore and preserve our areas of native habitat in the river’s watershed.

The river’s watershed includes forested areas such as the Duwamish Greenbelt, one of the largest in the lower section of the river, provides important air and water filtration of pollution, especially storm runoff one of the major sources polluting our waters. Tree canopy cover also reduces our summer heat domes, unequally affecting low income, communities of color to a greater degree. The river’s ecosystem supports 5 salmon species including the threatened Chinook salmon which is a critical food source for our Southern Resident Orcas; along with wildlife that includes river otters, beavers, bald eagles, and blue herons. Each of our habitat sites supports this web of life while providing important environmental benefits to our communities – we are all connected.

We are honored to help steward these locations which are the ancestral lands and waters of the Duwamish Peoples who have been here for thousands of years. Join us in caring for these special places. Family friendly, ALL are welcome. Tools and instruction are provided.

To volunteer, visit DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and register for the site of your choice.

No meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council this Thursday (April 2) after all, they’ve announced.

Thanks to AH for sending the flyer that’s up for an “all hands” community cleanup tomorrow (Saturday, March 28) in South Delridge/White Center:

No RSVP required – show up, 9 am at 9440 Delridge Way SW, and you’re in!

Looking for something to do this weekend? You have four more chances to see Acts on Stage‘s “Smart People” in White Center. Here’s what it’s all about:

“SMART PEOPLE”
Intelligence is Relative….

Let’s go back to 2007 – the eve of the first Obama election – when the iPhone was new, the housing market was strong, and Netflix & chill wasn’t really a thing yet. Still, four of the ivy league’s brightest are navigating life on a curve and it turns out intelligence is relative in more ways than one.

Written by Lydia R. Diamond, “Smart People” takes a look at life, love, and identity through four fixed but also quickly changing lenses. This sharp and laugh out loud funny story tackles the fragile negotiation of human connection in the modern millennium. And yes, it’s complicated but so much fun!

“Smart People” is directed by Isiah Anderson, Jr., and stars local talents Dominick Weems, Devotion Charles, Jeremy Moller, and Corinne Park-Buffelen.

Staged for the first time in Seattle, “Smart People” is produced by Acts On Stage Theater. This production is perfect for date night, a group hang, and even an academic banter as it generates tons of conversational content upon which nearly no one will agree! And isn’t that the point!?

Showtimes are 7 pm tonight (Friday, March 20), 2 and 7 pm Saturday, 3 pm Sunday. Get tickets here. Acts on Stage is at 10806 12th SW.

Thanks for the tip. A spokesperson for the King County Sheriff’s Office confirms a man was shot outside Greenbridge Library (8th SW and SW 97th) around 4 pm today. According to archived KCSO radio, the victim called 911 to report the shooting, saying he had been shot by someone in a “ski mask and green bomber jacket.” also described as “male, 6’0″, Samoan,” possibly headed north from the library and might have boarded a Metro bus. KCSO says the victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment, and also says that as of now, “there is no threat to the public,” while not commenting on whether that meant someone had been arrested.

Here’s an invitation from the White Center Community Development Association:

This Saturday we are hosting our first official screening of our full-length film, Rooted in White Center, at Savusa Hall.

The Rooted in White Center docuseries, part of the White Center Community Development Association’s White Center Innovation Project, aims to support and protect BIPOC immigrant and refugee business owners from displacement in the unincorporated King County neighborhood of White Center.

We welcome supporters of our local businesses and hope that this space can honor the legacies in Whtie Center’s past, present, and future.

Attendees can RSVP to our screening on our website: tinyurl.com/RWCDD2026

Savusa Hall is part of the White Center HUB, at 8th SW and SW 108th.

WSDOT has added two more days to the repair closure of the northbound 1st Avenue South Bridge:

The timeline for crews to complete temporary emergency repairs of the northbound State Route 99 First Avenue South bridge has been extended to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 13.

Washington State Department of Transportation bridge maintenance crews have been working to modify existing grated panels and install steel plates over the cracked grates to restore safe vehicle access across all lanes since the full closure began on Monday morning, March 9.

Damage is more extensive than inspectors initially thought and the work to realign the area where the two spans of the bridge meet is very precise and methodical. This area experiences some of the greatest stress on the bridge as vehicles travel across it. Carefully adjusting this section of the bridge helps to create a smoother transition and reduces stress where the two spans meet.

As a reminder, this work is intended to immediately stabilize the bridge and reopen all lanes to traffic before the second phase of work begins in mid-to-late April, when contractor crews working for WSDOT will replace the worst of the failing panels before summer. The third phase of this work is a full replacement of the northbound bridge deck and construction is expected in 2027. During its last full inspection, this bridge was rated in fair condition.

The main detour for people heading toward Seattle from here and points south remains the South Park Bridge.

Even better than recycling, and definitely better than throwing out – repair that broken item! Here’s an opportunity coming up next weekend:

White Center Repair Event

– Saturday, March 14, 9:30 am-12:30 pm, White Center Fieldhouse (the “Log Cabin”), Steve Cox Memorial Park, 1321 SW 102nd St.

At this King County free community repair event (KingCounty.gov/repair-events), skilled volunteer “fixers” will try to repair and mend household items and clothing. King County-sponsored repair events are first-come, first-served – for people’s first items only – as fixers are available. If people bring second items, we try to get to those after we’ve worked on everyone’s first items.

Items our fixers can potentially work on at these repair events include household and personal items that are small enough to be carried in by one person, including certain electronics, small furniture, and clothing/textiles. Items brought in for repair, including clothing, must be clean.

We may decline to work on any item – in advance or at the event – depending on the item, the type of repair needed, the fixers available, or for other reasons.

No equipment that uses gasoline. No cell phones, tablet computers or microwaves. No knife or tool sharpening. No lengthy reconstructive repairs. No major clothing alterations. Items brought in – including clothing and things like fans, vacuums and air fryers – must be reasonably clean. Fixers cannot clean items, or work on items they would have to clean first.

For more info about King County’s repair events program, contact program coordinator Tom at tom.watson@kingcounty.gov or at 206-477-4481.

The Blu Grouse has announced via social media that it’s “temporarily closing.” The post says the owner has health concerns to tend to. No time frame for “temporary” is given. (Thanks to Ian for the tip – texting us at 206-293-6302 is optimal for those.)