La-Z-Boy coming to Staples building

By Nicole Jennings • September 1, 2017 1:30 am
La-Z-Boy will bring its living room, family room and bedroom furniture to the Front Street North building that previously housed Staples. Photo courtesy of La-Z-Boy Seattle Facebook page
La-Z-Boy will bring its living room, family room and bedroom furniture to the Front Street North building that previously housed Staples. Photo courtesy of La-Z-Boy Seattle Facebook page

The mystery of what will fill the Staples building on Front Street North in Issaquah, sitting empty since January, has finally been solved.

Furniture retailer La-Z-Boy will be bringing one of its “new concept” stores — the first one in Washington — to Issaquah.

“For the last six years, we’ve eyed that area as having tremendous growth and wanted to be over there, but couldn’t find the right opportunity … We’re very excited to come to town,” said Chris Washko, president and CEO of La-Z-Boy Seattle.

Washko described a new concept store as “much more modern” and a “whole different shopping experience” in comparison to a typical La-Z-Boy showroom.

“We’re really excited it’s gonna be in Issaquah,” he said.

In addition to furniture for living rooms, family rooms and dens and a wide range of home accessories, the Issaquah La-Z-Boy will include a bedding sub-store. Washko said that the store will be “the first of its kind in North America.”

Washko anticipates opening near the end of the year or at the beginning of 2018. He said that he’d like to be open for the Christmas shoppers, but realistically, there is a significant amount of renovation that needs to be completed first.

“It will no longer look like a Staples building,” he laughed.

Washko said that he had a very positive meeting with Mayor Fred Butler and his staff, during which he assured Butler that the annual Salmon Days carnival rides were still welcome to set up shop in the former Staples parking lot as per tradition.

“Of course we were happy to accommodate that tradition,” he said.

La-Z-Boy Seattle is very committed to community service, counting the USO, Ben’s Fund, the Ronald McDonald House of Western Washington and Seahawk Doug Baldwin’s anti-bullying campaign among the organizations with which it is involved.

“We’re quite excited to be involved with the community and can’t wait for this to happen,” Washko said.

A La-Z-Boy had previously been located in the building that is currently home to Best Buy on East Lake Sammamish Parkway.

Other La-Z-Boy showrooms in the Seattle area can be found in Lynnwood, Tukwila, Tacoma and Silverdale.