Renton Motorcycle Co. closed for business Tuesday to make way for the eventual relocation of Renton Honda, now on Grady Way, to its site on East Valley Road.
Employees of Motorcycle were told of the closure Tuesday morning at a regular staff meeting; later, one of them expressed shock at the closure.
The Renton Motorcycle Co. and Renton Honda are owned by Bob Lanphere. He also owns Downtown Harley Davidson next door to Renton Motorcycles, which remains in business, said Terry Stallcop, general manager of both businesses.
Also remaining open is Mick Kelly's restaurant at the Full Throttle Bar and Grill, which overlooks the Renton Motorcycles showroom.
"We have built a customer base that's not dependent on the motorcycle customer base," said owner Lorraine Tores, so her lunch business won't be affected. She also draws customers from the Harley Davidson dealership next door.
The economy played a role in the closure of Renton Motorcycles, Stallcop said.
However, an earlier plan would have had Renton Motorcycles and Renton Honda share the large building, he said, a plan that failed to get the OK of the Honda corporation. He said it didn't make sense to move Renton Motorcycles elsewhere.
Renton Honda won't move for 18 months to 24 months, Stallcop said, during which it will seek permits from the City of Renton to remodel the Renton Motorcycle space. Renton Honda is one of the anchors of the AutoMall the city created on Grady Way.
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honda motorcycles
honda motorcycles
honda motorcycles
honda motorcycles
