Hey, it’s not for nothing that Edmonds was named the first Certified Creative District in the state of Washington. There’s a special magic in the air here—one that inspires the people who live and frequent here to create. What they come up with takes many forms: visual arts, culinary arts, liquid arts, performing arts, and seemingly “random” ideas that turn heads—and bring lots of people to town to check them out.

We asked six Edmonds entrepreneurs (each of whom own at least two businesses in Edmonds or the greater Seattle area) about what inspires them, why visitors should invest their time in coming to Edmonds to experience them, and what their big dreams are. From restaurateurs to fitness studio owners and a very PNW vending concept, these doers are putting Edmonds on the map in extremely cool ways. 

Settle in for just a small taste of their stories, edited just slightly for grammar and clarity. We’ve arranged them alphabetically by business name. 

We know you’re going to love these businesses just as much as we do—and guess what? You can visit them all in just a few hours. 

Six Edmonds Entrepreneurs

The Crumpet Shop, Amy and Cooper Golding | 550 Main Street, Suite 102

The newest set of entrepreneurs in town, Cooper and Amy Golding, brought their crumpet concept from Pike Place Market closer to their home. They had the unique opportunity to take over—and expand upon—a Seattle icon. We asked them about that. Here’s what they told us:

Taking over Pike Place has been a great experience. The founding family (Gary, Nancy, Rob, and Allison) has been incredibly supportive. The Crumpet Shop in Pike Place is a special place. Located in the same space for almost 50 years, we have many customers in their 50s and 60s who have come to the shop since they were kids. Our goal was not to disrupt the original charm and character of the shop that makes the location so special.

In Edmonds, we want to recreate this magic in a new market, and it has been going well. Many of our customers in Edmonds are familiar with the market location and excited that we are now in a location that is more accessible and oftentimes closer to home. In addition, we have many new customers who have never tried a crumpet. It takes a little coaching to get folks comfortable with this new food, but after they try it, it's an easy thing to love.

We realize Pike Place is one of the many tourism hot spots in the area, so we challenged Cooper and Amy with the question, “Why should visitors come to Edmonds to try a crumpet?”

There are not many places in the US (or world) where you can try a freshly made (we make them fresh every day) crumpet. Now, one of those places is in beautiful Edmonds, WA. Come for breakfast and try one of our delicious egg options, or try something unique off our sweet or savory menu. The Lemon Curd is made in-house with fresh-squeezed lemon juice - placed on a spread of ricotta cheese, it's a crowd favorite.

Plus, the ease of exploring Edmonds is much more pleasant than it is managing around downtown Seattle, especially if you have little kids or grandparents in tow. Everything is contained, and the city offers not only free parking, but new friends.

While you’re in Edmonds, you may notice quite a few families. The Golding family is among them. Because they know what it’s like to run a business while raising young kids, they added this:

As new parents, we know how hard it is to take your kids out and about. We want the Crumpet Shop to be a family-friendly space, and we have a great outdoor area where kids can play. As such, we'll be hosting Tots Tuesdays every Tuesday from 10:00am - 12:00pm, during which families and kids can gather for a nice treat and some fun and activities in the shop.

The Hookup Hut, Aaron Shurts | 471 Admiral Way

If we know anything about Aaron Shurts, we know he’s never hurting for hobbies. He and his wife, Alison (more on her below), already owned a business together before they each launched another one. We asked Aaron what inspired his latest venture, the Hookup Hut, right by the boat launch at the Edmonds Marina. Here’s what he said:

This all started when all of the bait and tackle shops in Edmonds and Lynnwood shut down. What used to be a 30-minute round trip for bait alone became over an hour. There are so many times that no matter how much pre-planning was done, I still forgot something, and fortunately, I live pretty close to the marina, so it wasn't a huge deal as long as I had what I needed at home. 

Many of the people who head to Edmonds to go fishing live an hour or more away. Some even come from as far away as Spokane. So you can imagine that realizing you forgot something at 4:00 am is not a small issue. That's where all of this began. A few years ago, I thought man, it would be great if there was something at the marina, but I don't want to run a tackle shop, and even if I did, it would need to be open really early to be helpful. That's when the idea was sparked for a vending machine. I came across one on a trip to Florida, and the machine never really worked, but I thought that it would be great if it did. So I sort of stole that idea and put two and two together. 

A few years ago, I started to make headway talking to a vendor, but the machine technology just wasn't where I hoped it would be to realize the vision. Fast forward a few years, and now, because of companies like Amazon with “just walk out” tech like Amazon Go, along with advancements in AI, the smart vending machine has come to the market. 

Aaron’s vision is nationwide expansion, and he’s already in talks with ports in Washington to bring the Hookup Hut to more locations this year. But not everyone is a USCG licensed charter captain or passionate fisherperson like Aaron is, so they pepper him with questions. The most frequently asked question is two-fold: “How does it work? Is it an honor system?” Here’s how you can expect Aaron to answer you:

For the how does it work question, I say, "No, it's not an honor system. It's a smart machine, so you just tap or swipe your credit card (yes, we take Apple Pay and Google Wallet, too) and that will unlock the door to the machine. You simply choose the items you want and pull them out slowly, one at a time. This allows the machine cameras to track everything you grab. Once you shut the door, your card is charged." So again, everything that comes out of the machine is tracked, and you pay for it on that card. 

People also wonder what kind of tackle he stocks:

As for what we carry, well, we have all of the essentials for fishing in Puget Sound, from salmon trolling, mooching, jigging, and bottom fishing jigs to frozen herring, squid, octopus, etc. The inventory will update as the fishing seasons change, so once the fall comes, we will have squidding jigs in addition to more crabbing bait and some other essentials. 

Pretty impressive, huh? Aaron and his team are super active on Instagram, too, so if you ever want fishing tips, follow them here. 

Kelnero and Vinbero, Kali and Kris Kelnero | 545 Main St + 203 5th Ave S #1

As a husband and wife team who own a James Beard-worthy cocktail restaurant (seriously—it’s astonishing the JB team hasn’t called yet) and a European-feeling wine bar, Kali and Kris Kelnero are constantly thinking outside of the box. We wanted to know some of the biggest lessons they’ve learned while running their businesses (that are, pssst, just a few blocks from each other). Here’s what they said:

Whoa nelly, what lesson HAVEN'T we learned? As small business owners, we have learned to be marketing specialists, social media masters, accountants, architects, and, of course, how to fix the kitchen sink—on top of everything else we needed to master to run a business within our particular industry. 

One of the toughest lessons we learned is, as we say, to "just pay the man!" By that we mean, we had to learn when to step back and just let someone else run the show, because it was so much more valuable for us to focus on our core competencies. As born do-it-ourselfers, this might be the biggest lesson we learned (and we learned it the hard way, repeatedly).

We also asked them what the most fulfilling parts of their businesses are, and we loved what they told us:

Hands down, it's meeting people who tell us a story about how our businesses have played a special role in their lives. Whether it's the first date they went on with their partner, where they got engaged, where they got married, where they had their first drink after kicking cancer's ass, where they took their child for their special end-of-school-year treat, etc., hearing about these moments genuinely brings a tear to our eyes every single time. This is what our spaces are all about. Additionally, we love the opportunity to innovate and create every single day. There's always a new challenge to tackle and something that needs to be built or developed, so owning a business here never, ever gets boring. 

One of the many things that sets the Kelnero’s businesses apart is their attention to detail. Just read the menu descriptions at their eponymous cocktail bar and you’ll know what we mean. We asked them why visiting Edmonds to experience them matters: 

When you come to downtown Edmonds, you will find small businesses that people have poured their heart, soul, savings, and lives into. 

Every single one represents genuine passion, somebody who is presenting an item or service they are deeply proud of and excited to share with you. You can get a story alongside a product or experience. Plus, of course, you get the satisfaction of knowing your dollars are going into a local community, and people, local schools, and sports teams, and into decisions that are being made thoughtfully and carefully, concerning community and purpose rather than quarterly returns. What's not to love? 

Both Kelnero and Vinbero host frequent events—tastings, live music, Supper Clubs, drink duels, and more. If you needed more reason to visit them, we just gave several! They keep their websites (mostly) up to date: kelnero.bar/events and vinbero.bar/calendar.

Main Street Commons, Mike McMurray | 6th & Main

Before opening Main Street Commons, Mike McMurray also owned Leftcraft. As a somewhat serial entrepreneur at this point in his life, Mike has major wisdom to share. We asked what’s been most fulfilling about opening businesses in Edmonds:

I just led the design and development, and helped procure these businesses to consider Edmonds. I hope that the community enjoys the variation and the businesses in Main Street Commons fit into our already amazing downtown. I also hope these new businesses become active in supporting our community. It's very rewarding to have the opportunity to contribute to our town positively. Not everyone gets this opportunity, and I am very thankful for having the support of the Waltz and McMurray family to make these developments possible.  

Main Street Commons was conceived as a local gathering spot for residents and visitors. It houses a small handful of local businesses, hosts live music, and more. We asked Mike why visitors should travel to Edmonds to experience this community hub. Here’s what he told us:

I think Edmonds has become the destination of the North—it has art, dining, and shopping at a boutique and manageable level. With its natural beauty supported by the backdrop of the Puget Sound, and of course, the welcoming people and businesses that make this place so special, Edmonds is a true local destination. The Summer Farmers Market on a Saturday embodies the spirit of our community and is a great place to start to explore Edmonds (Saturdays 9am-2:30pm).

And the thing about Edmonds entrepreneurs is they’re always supporting each other. Main Street Commons is partnering with Musicology Co. for weekend live music this summer, with schedule details coming soon. Additionally, EWHS Jazz will collaborate with Seattle Jazz Club for Friday evening performances (5-7pm) at Commons Plaza starting in June. Both Edmonds-Woodway High School Music Boosters and Musicology welcome sponsors and donations to support these events. 

One thing’s for sure: Edmonds is set for a music-filled summer, and with Main Street Commons at the center. 

TrampStamp Fit, Alison Shurts | 23931 SR-99, Ste 101

A workout on a mini trampoline with the best playlists anywhere around the Sound? Nope, it’s not an LA thing. It’s an Edmonds thing, and it’s the brainchild of Alison Shurts, a lifelong dancer who will make you want to shake your hips, too. We asked her about the inspiration for her business. This is what she told us:

I found Tramp during COVID. I borrowed a trampoline from a friend and started streaming some classes online and I just instantly knew that THIS was MY SH*T. I had an instant connection to the workout. I started doing rebounder workouts in April/May of 2020, and I finally committed to teaching it in March of 2023. It took that long to psych myself up to put me and my cute lil workout out into the universe.

Can you already tell you’re going to have so much fun in Alison’s classes? They really are worth the drive from anywhere. The energy, we tell ya. As of this writing, Tramp’s been open a little over a year. We asked Alison how it’s going:

I am so proud of myself for opening. There are times when I'm walking around the classroom and teaching, and I think to myself, "I did this. I created this from nothing." And there's not much that beats that feeling that you had an idea and you made it happen. I'm still working on convincing women that they won't fall off the trampoline, and if they do pee a little, it won't be the end of them. Surprise: they will live! Advice to Alison a year ago, stay consistent, keep teaching a strong class, and have a positive attitude.

Have we noted that your first class is free? This is important because some things need to be experienced to be fully understood. Let the freebie be your little push into Edmonds before you explore the rest of the places in this piece.

Alison is an absolute pro at her playlist curation. We asked her how she creates rhythmic magic that makes even the most timid among us want to bounce and dance. She said:

I listen to so much music. I always have and I always will. I have such a strong connection to music, and I have a knack for picking out music that people connect to. For the perfect playlist, I throw in different genres so that each client will be able to relate to at least one or two songs. They are usually a mix of pop, hip hop, a retro song that's mashed up or been remixed (think Whitney or Madonna or Michael Jackson)...and maybe a little bit of R&B, and then some vibey music for abs and to cool down.

Check out one of Alison’s playlists here for a little preview of what to expect, and scroll through her Instagram to get a sense of the vibe that will bring you bouncing into Edmonds again and again.  

Time To Visit These Edmonds Entrepreneurs

We hope we’ve left you inspired and excited to check out the businesses built by the six Edmonds entrepreneurs we’ve covered. This is just the beginning of what will likely become an ongoing series. 

Tag us when you visit them so we can come along—through your phone screen, of course. We’re @exploreedmondswa on Facebook and Instagram.