‘I’m cooked’: Aurora business owner’s viral video draws customers to notorious strip

An Aurora Avenue business owner posted a video on social media that has since gone viral, stating people told her not to open her business in the area, and she is now hopeless, or as she described it, “cooked.”

Demi, owner of Big Whale Consignment, joined “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio to provide a rundown of what business is like in an area that many Seattleites don’t look fondly upon, and how her business has performed following the viral video.

“There’s way more foot traffic. We’ve had videos go viral before, but not at this level,” Demi said. “Our last really good one went to like 300,000 views, and it almost had the same message. It’s increased awareness. A lot of people were saying they haven’t heard of us, or if they have, they always drive by and don’t stop by.”

 

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Aurora business owner says customers miss Seattle’s best-kept secrets

In Demi’s viral video, she claimed there were warnings against opening a business on Aurora when she did six years ago, although she didn’t listen. She explains that there are a few reasons no one wants to come to Aurora, but she thinks people are “missing out on some of the coolest spots in Seattle.”

“Apparently, opening up a shop on Aurora has led people to believe a lot of things. So people think it’s a front, like for money laundering. That would imply that I’m capable of running a financial crime ring,” Demi said in the viral video. “What they don’t realize is that tucked between all the chaos are local hidden gems.”

Curley noted that Demi’s business is located in a rough part of town and questioned whether she has had to call the police on anyone entering the building for anything other than local art, vintage furniture, or trinkets.

“I think in the whole six years we’ve been there, we’ve maybe called police like twice,” Demi said. “I feel like, if someone is coming in and they’re not our typical customer, they kind of go out by themselves. It hasn’t been anything like dramatic.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

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