Cactus, the popular Southwestern restaurant on Park Lane in downtown Kirkland, tried for a soft opening to it’s newly-renovated interior.
The ploy didn’t work.
“We quietly opened and didn’t announce it, intentionally, because we didn’t want to get a tidal wave of business,” said Jonathan Klitgaard, Director of Operations for Cactus Restaurants. “People have seen, just through walking by, and it’s definitely intensified as the week has gone on, to the point where this last weekend was pretty busy.”
The restaurant was closed for 12 weeks and officially reopened July 18. The renovation knocked out a few walls, expanding capacity to 160 seats to keep up with growing demand.
Many of the major changes, said owner and founder Marc Chatalas, have to do with back-of-house items.
“It lacked amenities that make working in restaurants enjoyable,” said Chantalas, who co-owns the five Seattle-area restaurants with his brother, Bret. “No lockers, no break room, no bathroom, no space to do their jobs and no space to store things — that was in short supply before.”
The expansion not only relaxes the Cactus experience by giving patrons room to breathe, but also allows staff ample room to get around one another.
“From a management perspective, our office used to literally be the size of a broom closet,” Klitgaard said. “And now, there’s room for four people to work in there where there used to be room for one, maybe one-and-a-half people to get in there. That’s all been really helpful.”
Neat to visit Cactus Kirkland last week to see the renovated interior.
And take pictures of succulents. pic.twitter.com/XA3W2y3Isf— John William Howard (@JowardHoward) July 26, 2016
The design was also updated, and now features a much more modern look.
Chantalas was particularly proud of the varied light fixtures, which are reclaimed pieces from around the world. The beautiful wooden backdrop in the bar, a piece Chantalas mentioned specifically, was taken from an old hotel in Buenos Ares, Argentina.
“We wanted to create a restaurant that would resonate with our Kirkland customers,” Chantalas said. “Ultimately, we moved in the direction of something more sophisticated. The design was more thought-out; less kitschy.”
Cactus was ripped out down to the studs, replacing everything — even the plumbing and the roof — before unofficially reopening on July 12.
Chantalas said the changes are all purely cosmetic, and the menu hasn’t been changed from what Kirkland customers enjoyed before the renovation.
“When there was a door open into the construction site, it was remarkable how many people expressed desire to have us back and how much they missed having us,” Chantalas said. “We’ve developed a loyal clientele who came back instantly, despite us being coy about an opening date.”
Because of the larger floor plan, Chantalas said numbers have been far higher than before the renovation.
“We’re happy to be back and serving Kirkland,” he said.
CORRECTION: Cactus is Southwestern/Mexican cuisine, not Spanish, as was initially reported.
