Even with foot traffic down, Pioneer Square businesses hope for a better year

Across most of Seattle, stores and restaurants are getting almost as many visitors as they did before the pandemic.

But the same isn't holding true everywhere. In 2021, foot traffic in the downtown core in was half of what it was in 2019, according to a new report from the Downtown Seattle Association.

Tanya Friberg works at Finerie Style Studio in Pioneer Square, where she sells furniture and clothes. She said her customers don’t feel safe visiting downtown.

“It’s definitely been a huge deterrent. Bigger than Covid, is the escalation of things happening downtown, and all the theft and stealing and people in great need — that scares people,” she said.

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But some business owners expressed growing optimism. Thomas Mar, a manager at Seattle’s Underground Tour, said business is starting to pick up.

"We're starting to see more people coming in for the tour," he said. "I don’t know if it’s the holidays, spring break…[we’re] doing okay.”

Mar said he's booked a lot more private tours lately, for employees of companies like Microsoft and Amazon. He said as long as Covid stays at bay, his business could get back to doing almost as well as it did in 2019.

Restaurants and bars have been the hardest hit sector of the downtown economy, according to the Downtown Seattle Association report.

But people are starting to gather again. Last week, the St. Patrick's Day drew a crowd to the Owl and Thistle, in Seattle’s Pioneer Square.

Jainesh Prasad, a bouncer at the door, said the pub expected it could serve 500 people over the course of the night. "It's gonna be crazy," he said.

St. Patrick's Day will likely be the Owl and Thistle's biggest day of the year. But there could be many good days.

In April, baseball season will begin, drawing thousands of visitors through downtown Seattle over the course of 81 home games.

Many business owners downtown said that as long as crime decreases and the pandemic eases, 2022 could turn out to be a good year.