Businesses struggle in Seattle’s South Lake Union as Amazon keeps employees remote

Amazon says its employees won’t return to the office until 2022, and even then, many teams could stay away for the foreseeable future.

SEATTLE – Amazon announced earlier this week that its employees will not be returning to its South Lake Union headquarters until at least January 2022, affecting the small businesses trying to survive the pandemic.

According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, Amazon is Washington’s largest employer with around 80,000 employees, outperforming Boeing in 2020.

“We don’t have enough customers,” said Sayed Salem, who operates a food truck on the corner of Terry and Thomas Streets in South Lake Union.

Salem stated that many other businesses in the neighborhood went under during the pandemic, but Amazon survived with its thousands of employees who, sadly, are still not back in the office for him.

“There are two architecture firms here … out of business. Dental clinic was here … out of business, at least from this area,” Salem said.

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Salem’s Spice on Curve is one of the last holdovers from the pre-pandemic food truck lineup. It is a sight that disappears along with the pedestrian traffic.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that Amazon will again shift its home office policy, letting department heads decide whether to let their teams work remotely or use a hybrid model.

This announcement has led many to question the immediate future of the South Lake Union, which just a few years ago exploded with growth and opportunity.

Salem said he was concerned about the next announcement as his profits continue to decline.

“I’m a businessman too. If they realize that working remotely is profitable for them, they could do it permanently,” Salem said.

Salem said he thinks he could hold out for a few more months, but beyond that, he may need government help to stay in business.

During the mayor’s debate in Seattle on Thursday night, one of the first questions was about Amazon.

Candidates Lorena González and Bruce Harrell argued that the company has to pay its fair share of taxes to help with issues such as affordable housing, among other things. Those questions also raised concerns about whether the tech giant would leave Seattle and what impact it would have on the city.

Check out the full mayor’s debate: