SEATTLE — One of the oldest businesses in Seattle is closing after 112 years.
"We love the city, we've been here for 112 years, we love Seattle," said Zoey Mann, the owner of Fox’s Seattle. It’s a jewelry store on the corner of 4th Avenue and University Street, filled with a lifetime of shining moments.
"This place means the world to me,” said Mann. “I mean, my mom brought me here when I was 2 weeks old, and it was the first place after the pediatrician's office that she brought me. My daughter learned to walk in our old store. All my kids came with me to work for a little bit."
Fox's has been a Seattle gem since 1912. Mann's family has owned it since 1948, when her grandfather acquired it. Her father took over in 1982 and passed it on to her in 2013. But that all ends this year.
"I think it's always hard to be the last. It's always hard to be the one to decide that it's time to stop," said Mann.
She said business has been down since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
"That's just the reality that we're facing,” said Mann. “What I'm seeing now is so many smaller neighborhoods in Seattle, getting the foot traffic. Which is great and I love it and I think it's wonderful that they have that. But we're seeing it less and less downtown."
According to the Downtown Seattle Association, the daily worker foot traffic in Seattle has yet to reach pre-pandemic numbers. Just last month, there were about 80,000 daily workers. That's just a little more than half of what was in January 2019.
The decrease makes it crystal clear to Mann that it's time for a transition.
"Over the past 21 years, I've had to choose between my family and my job, and my job keeps winning and I'm ready to put my family first," said Mann.
She said it's been an honor to serve Seattle and hopes to make more memories while it's still open.
"I really hope that people who have enjoyed us being in the city will come down and say hello and say goodbye," said Mann.
The final day Fox’s Seattle will be open is Saturday, April 27.
The Downtown Seattle Association sent KING 5 a statement regarding the closure that read:
“We never like to see a downtown retailer choose to close and that’s especially the case for longtime small businesses like Fox’s Seattle. We are also excited about new street-level businesses that have opened their doors over the last year, and more are on the way. To help foster their success we need to ensure a safe and welcoming environment, something that’s been improving in downtown and is top of mind for our city leaders.”