Whatcom Roundup: Bellis Fair store closes; Portal business to expand; arcade bar progress

Alyse Smith
·2 min read

Here’s your weekly roundup of the latest retail, business and restaurant activity in and around Whatcom County:

Portal Putt files for expansion

Portal Putt, the outdoor miniature golf course at The Portal Container Village, has filed a permit with the city of Bellingham to expand its nine-hole course. The permit was filed May 6, and had not been approved as of May 10. The Portal Container Village opened May 3 for the season, and is at 296 W Laurel St. in Bellingham.

New bar coming to Bellingham

Last month we announced that a new bar created by the owners of 1-Up Lounge is planned to open at the previous location of Endgame, a board game bar that closed in February 2024.

Pin-Up Arcade, the new 21+ arcade bar, has not announced an opening date yet but is sharing its steady construction updates on Instagram.

The bar will likely open in “early summer,” according to a recent Instagram post.

Craftery Lane closed in Bellis Fair

Craftery Lane, a boutique of products made by local artists, quietly closed its doors inside the Bellis Fair mall on March 31, according to David Prince, the mall’s general manager. Craftery Lane opened in February 2023, according to previous reporting by The Bellingham Herald.

Texas Roadhouse update

Texas Roadhouse, the long-awaited chain BBQ restaurant, is making progress toward an opening, although no date has been announced. The restaurant filed a permit through the city of Bellingham for $10,000 worth of racking in the restaurant. The permit was approved May 8. A permit for a sign package was also approved May 2. The restaurant is planned to be at 4331 Meridian St., the previous location of Billy McHale’s Restaurant.

Bellingham events, trivia nights and live music

Bellingham is full of local events, markets, festivals and other events during May. Here’s your guide to this month’s events, trivia nights, live music and more.

Sign Up: Discover Whatcom

This curated weekly newsletter is a roundup of what’s new and exciting to help you live joyfully in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Thursday.