New survey shows Seattle's small businesses struggling 'worse than pandemic'

SEATTLE - Barely getting by: That's how some of Seattle's most-beloved small businesses describe their day-to-day.

Some said it's worse than during the pandemic. They call it a small business crisis that is harder to see at first glance.

There are restaurants in the Chinatown-International District whose menus are next-level. There are stores you won't find anywhere else. But there is a growing fear that soon you won't see them at all.

What they're saying:

"A lot of our food and drink is really highlighting flavors that you would find in the Philippines and Filipino cuisine, specifically desserts," Hood Famous co-owner Chera Amlag said.

Step inside Hood Famous Café and Bar and there's an instant sense of bliss you'll only feel in the CID.

This location opened in 2019. Then came the pandemic.

"Once we hit that one-year mark, we'd hoped to do a big celebration, add new things to the menu. We had all these plans that never came to fruition and had to pivot like so many other restaurants and small businesses to just scrape by," said co-owner Geo Quibuyen.

Today, the co-owners said keeping the lights on, the bills paid, and the coffee and treats coming, is getting tougher.

"I feel like we are in an emergency situation now. It may not look that way on the surface, but it very much is so," Quibuyen said.

This business is not alone.

"Not one single cost, you know, I think in previous times, you could identify and say the rent is going up faster than we can keep up with, or the food costs for certain ingredients are unexpectedly rising, or healthcare premiums, or the fact that customers in general might be going through some economic hardships," he said. "The thing is, all those things I mentioned are all happening all at the same time."

By the numbers:

A new survey by The Intentionalist heard from 136 small, brick-and-mortar businesses across Seattle and neighboring communities.

A majority identified as diverse and women-owned with 10 or fewer people employed.

"Like so many brick and mortar, independent small businesses across the Greater Seattle area and beyond, they're struggling just to survive," said Laura Clise, founder and CEO of The Intentionalist.

The survey found about 67% of those small businesses were under more financial strain today than during the pandemic. More than 71% responded that they're seeing fewer customers than a year ago, and 63% said sales are down with a quarter of businesses reporting sales have dropped 20% or more.

Half of businesses said crime is hurting them, too.

A recent report from CBRE showed the office vacancy rate in Downtown Seattle jumped to 34.7% in the last quarter of 2025.

CBRE showed offices were about 12% more occupied in 2022, according to a report.

This all means less foot traffic for businesses in the area.

What's next:

The World Cup is just months away, and it's a short walk from Hood Famous. Amlag calls this situation critical.

"We know that come June, July, we're going to get an influx of folks and we want to be able to have the staff to welcome them in, we want to be able to have that level of operations," she said.

She looked ahead to the potential hundreds of thousands of customers who will visit the city.

"A lot of people come here to park, right? To go to the games and so, I think for us, we're asking, you know, if you're going to be here anyway, in the neighborhood, if you're going to be close to the stadiums, feel free to just come a little bit earlier and have lunch or come a little bit earlier and grab a cup of coffee. It really helps out a lot," Amlag said.

The Intentionalist survey found nearly 63% of businesses have struggled with having enough money to operate.

"For certain businesses that are in danger of losing everything, I think some sort of emergency relief, I mean of course, it's not a permanent solution, but neither was COVID relief during COVID," Quibuyen said.

Some reported they'd used personal savings, raised prices, cut staff or hours, added discounts and promotions, or delayed payments. The survey found these small businesses also reported they've accumulated more debt.

Local perspective:

Hood Famous weathered the pandemic. Now, they hope to do it again.

"The lifeblood of the city has always been the more smaller, independent businesses, and I fear that more and more of us will have to fold under that pressure," Quibuyen said.

In the survey, businesses said they need more help. That includes marketing, events, rent relief and lease stabilization. They also pointed to a need for low-interest and patient working capital as well as relief from spiking insurance premiums, city fees and taxes.

FOX 13 News contacted Mayor Katie Wilson's office for insights into what is being done to address the crime, support, and rising cost, tax, and fee concerns shared by these small businesses in the survey. We did not receive a response.

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