Kennewick’s Public Market to Close for Good After 4 Years–What’s Coming?

It was viewed as an attempt to mirror Seattle's Iconic Public Market, but now after four years, it's closing.

  Kennewick's Public Market to Close for Good

Originally started and overseen by building owners and developers and managers Corey and Kelsey Bitton, at one point the public market had between 60-70 vendors. It was designed as an opportunity for vendors to be able to market and sell their products.

Get our free mobile app

Now, according to sources including the Tri-City Herald, its last day might have come, as the sign indicating the hours of operation have been covered up.  The building will be converted into Premiere Kitchen which will be a commercial ktitchen and event space.

According to the Herald, at least several of the existing vendors have indicated they are looking or have already located new spaces for their businesses.

The Public Market had a large sign similar to the one in Seattle, who has seen their market be very succesful.

The building was originally a huge sprawing Welch's juice plant, it went into operation in 1906 as the Church Grape Juice Company, and was sold to Welch's in 1956. Welch's closed it in 2006 saying it was too small for their operations, and they consolidated its business to Grandview.

Then from 2006 until 2019, the building was purchased and used for storage by J. Leib Foods, until it was bought in 2021 by Bitton and transformed into the Public Market.

So far, no specific timetable has been released about when the new Pacific Kitchen project will become operational.