Pierce County burger joint closing, business announces with ‘heavy heart’
Key Peninsula burger joint Wauna Burger announced Monday that its last day will be May 9, after three years of business just off of state Route 302.
In a brief post to their Facebook page, the business said the decision was related to their lease.
“It is with a heavy heart, that we have to close our doors, due to our lease not being renewed,” the post said. “We are actively looking for another location, but at this time we will no longer be serving the Key Peninsula. Our last day open will be May 9th, thank you all for the support you’ve given us over the last 3 years, it’s been a pleasure. We hope to be back in business.”
Wauna Burger is at 11717 state Route 302 Northwest and serves up a variety of burgers, subs, sandwiches, salads, fries and other sides, according to their menu on Facebook.
Their post generated over 200 reactions and over 100 comments, as many residents lamented the loss of the local burger restaurant. Some questioned the terms of the lease agreement and wondered whether the property owner had increased the rent.
A reporter called Wauna Burger Tuesday morning but learned the person who answered the phone was in the middle of serving orders and couldn’t talk about the situation at that time. The News Tribune also left emails and a message on Facebook for the business Tuesday but did not immediately hear back.
Laura Scheel, the property owner, said in a phone call Tuesday that she had not increased the rent on the property.
“Rent was never an issue,” she said.
She said Wauna Burger had expressed interest in expanding into the adjacent space vacated by Wauna Liquor, a business which Scheel owns. The liquor store relocated to the Lake Kathryn Village shopping center last year, according to the store’s Facebook page. Scheel said she offered to rent the vacant space to the burger joint but that they were unable to come to an agreement about tenant improvements to the space and who would pay for them.
Scheel said that she didn’t want the business to leave, but felt she had no choice because of the disagreement. Wauna Burger’s lease expires May 15, she told The News Tribune.
