Staple of Seattle’s fishing community is nearing its end

It seems almost normal these days for business owners that opened up shop before Seattle’s economic boom to blame the increasingly unaffordable city for shutting down their dreams. But not so for Jerry Beppu.

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The owner of Linc’s Fishing Tackle says it is glaucoma, not big box stores and rising costs of doing business in Seattle, that is the leading cause for the closure.

Beppu, 77, says his failing eyesight is making it difficult to do his job, especially when it comes to the hands-on aspects of the business, like tying knots in fishing line.

“After 67 years on the corner of Rainier [Avenue South] and King Street, it’s finally time to do it,” he told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson.

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Jerry Beppu’s father originally opened the shop as Togo’s Tackle in the 1930s. The family was forced to shut it down when they were sent to an internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The shop opened under its current name when the family returned to Seattle.

Beppu says developers have been coming through for years trying to buy the property from him. Now that it has finally happened, he praises his loyal customer base for keeping the lights on for so many years.

“It has been a good run,” he said. “The box stores do hurt a little bit, but we’ve done alright. If it wasn’t for my eyesight we’d probably still be going.”

The store’s final day is scheduled for March 27. However, Beppu says they may be there for an additional two months as they liquidate their products.

Last year, The Seattle Times reported an office building will replace Linc’s.

On Tuesday, Beppu wasn’t sure what would replace his building from the 30s. He said he wouldn’t be surprised if it was condos or some type of housing that would be developed on the land — with an appraised value of $601,000.

What Beppu was sure about is how he will feel when he closes up shop for the last time.

“It will be a sad situation for me. I’ve been doing this for many, many years…”

Listen to the entire conversation below.

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