See what’s new at the Pasco Specialty Kitchen. It’s not just a new eatery
The Pasco Specialty Kitchen is cooking up some changes.
Customers can order a snack or meal and eat inside a new shaded outdoor seating area.
The new spot with six two-top tables is the city’s latest effort to attract more business to downtown Pasco.
Tri-Cities Afghan Food owner Amina Mohammed told the Tri-City Herald that she’s happy to see customers stopping to eat in the seating area after they pick up menu items such as her chicken or lamb kabob, meatballs or naan.
She said that in Afghan culture, people often sip tea and sit outside in the afternoons. She imagines the space becoming a popular meeting place for friends and families in the downtown area.
The new green structure is decorated with lights and faux flower beds. It stretches across three parking spaces in front of the city-owned building on Fourth Avenue.
And downtown Pasco restaurants and food businesses will get the chance to pilot their own outdoor seating area — a second mobile street eatery will be available to rent soon from the city.
It’s designed to be easy to set up and move to different spots.
The concept grew in popularity during the COVID pandemic. And in August, the city of Pasco changed its regulations to allow some public spaces, such as parking spots, sidewalks and alleys, to be converted into places where people can sit to eat or have a drink.
The city is calling the areas “parklets.”
Kennewick installed a similar street eatery in its downtown a few years ago.
The Specialty Kitchen is across from the city’s popular Farmers Market area.
New vendor coming soon
The two current vendors at the city-owned specialty kitchen are Pie Sharks, selling individual mini pies since last July, and Tri-Cities Afghan Food, which opened in November.
The specialty kitchen’s third window is temporarily in use by Bulldog Bistro, a burger spot owned by Maria Escamilla.
Both Tri-Cities Afghan Food and Bulldog Bistro are participating in the Pasco Taco Crawl, going on now through May 3.
Mohammed said she’s serving up a marinated chicken kabob taco. Escamilla added a carne asada taco and vegetarian grilled pepper, tomato and onion taco to her menu for the event.
Pasco Parks & Recreation Director Jesse Rice told the Tri-City Herald that the city is installing new kitchen equipment for a third vendor. Applications will open soon for the space.
