Fisher Plaza Brings Five Distinctive Restaurants, Shops and New Services to Seattle Neighborhood

Business Wire, August 24, 2004

SEATTLE -- Fisher Plaza, the premiere Northwest facility that combines retail, and Class A office and data space with 21st century communications and media services, today announced the addition of five new retail businesses, including a mix of dining options, distinctive consumer goods and banking services. Fisher Plaza's prime location at the entrance of the Seattle Center, easy access, public amenities, technological resources and welcoming design all work together to help these companies distinguish their products and services.

Two new dining options soon to be offered at Fisher Plaza include Sport, a restaurant and bar featuring sports memorabilia, and Cafe Darclee, a European-inspired coffee shop. Shop openings include La Belle Elaines, a full-service wedding boutique and the Cheese Cellar, a specialty wine and cheese retailer. IronStone Bank will open this fall on the retail level of Fisher Plaza West to meet the neighborhood's needs for banking and financial services. These retailers join Belltown Vision and Subway, which opened at Fisher Plaza in 2003, and the more than 50 other businesses that make their home at Fisher Plaza.

"Fisher Plaza was designed to be a multi-use facility that would serve our community in a variety of ways," said Kirk Anderson, president of Fisher Media Services Co., the division of Fisher Communications, Inc. that owns and operates Fisher Plaza. "People are drawn to Fisher Plaza's superb location, public amenities, and distinctive mix of businesses, including Fisher's radio and television stations. By providing this one-of-a-kind mix of media, shops and restaurants, Fisher Plaza is becoming a true destination in the shadow of the Space Needle."

Sport and La Belle Elaines will take advantage of Fisher Plaza's location, amenities and technological resources to provide entertainment and services unique to the Puget Sound region. Sport is planning to offer a wide choice of content, such as sporting events from NASCAR to the PGA Tour, on more than 50 large-screen and personal high-definition televisions (HDTVs) located throughout the restaurant and in booths. Executive Chef John Howie is joining forces with several sports celebrity investors, including LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA rookie of the year); Jamal Crawford of the New York Knicks; Aaron and Eric Goodwin, sports agents; Nate McMillan, coach of the SuperSonics; and Jeff Nelson of the Texas Rangers to create Sport, which is expected to open in January 2005.

"As a season ticket holder and memorabilia collector, I am extremely passionate about all Seattle sports, and this is a project I have wanted to do for many years," said Chef John Howie, owner of Sport. "Fisher Plaza was a perfect fit because of its HDTV technology and accessible location, making it the next closest thing to actually being at a sporting event. I hope Sport will pull at people's greatest sports memories, reminding them of the glory days of Seattle's sports history, and be a place to experience the excitement of Seattle's sports today and in the future."

La Belle Elaines is a new, full-service bridal boutique being opened by the owners of Elaine's of Edmonds and La Belle Mariee. Expected to open in November 2004, La Belle Elaines will feature gowns in progressive styles ranging from modern to traditional. The bridal shop plans to take advantage of Fisher Plaza's extensive bandwidth by using Webcams to broadcast live pictures of brides modeling wedding gowns via the Internet. For more information, visit www.elaines.com or www.labellemariee.com.

"Fisher Plaza is a first-class building that complements our upscale image and will impress our customers before they even enter our store," said Stewart Chung, La Belle Elaines' director of operations. "Using Fisher Plaza's state-of-the-art technology, our brides will be able to gather opinions and share this special experience with their family and friends from across the country or around the world."

The Cheese Cellar, which will feature an aging room and offer the finest European cheeses obtainable as well as fine wines and gourmet specialty items, is expected to open in September. Owners Dennis Nelson and Theresa Simpson expect Fisher Plaza's accessible, central location to help them expand their mail order business as well as build upon their loyal following of customers. For more information, visit www.thecheesecellar.com.

Expected to open in late September, Cafe Darclee is a new, one-of-a-kind coffee shop offering European Lavazza coffee, the market leader of espresso coffee in Italy, as well as wholesome French crepes that fit today's passion for healthy eating. Owners Lorena Balint and Dana Brad are creating an inviting and relaxing atmosphere featuring Art Nuevo-style art pieces created by Cornelia Moldoveanu, an artist with an international presence. Cafe Darclee will have extended business hours to serve both business clientele and the local community.

IronStone Bank, which provides comprehensive banking products for individual customers, small- to mid-sized businesses, professionals and the medical community, is opening its first Washington State location at Fisher Plaza. With 45 branches, IronStone Bank currently serves growing communities in Arizona, California, Texas, Georgia and Florida. In addition to its branch offices, customers can access financial services through the Bank's Customer Contact Center at 1-866-423-4732 (1-866-IB DIRECT) and through the Web at www.ironstonebank.com.