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Scandinavian Specialties was founded in 1962 as the Norwegian Sausage Company by Mr. Sagland with the goal of bringing its customers the finest quality Scandinavian Foods. Mr. Sagland was a trained butcher from Norway. They operated out of a very small space in Seattle’s Ballard area. Equipment was brought over from Norway to make all the sausages, etc. Mr. Sagland retired in 1980 and the store was purchased by Ruby and Herb Anderson who continued to make the highest quality Scandinavian foods available to the Scandinavian community in Seattle. The Andersons expanded the the product line and added the mail order business which opened up the company's line of Scandinavian Foods and Imports to the entire USA. In September 2000 the Andersons retired and the store was purchased by Anne-Lise Berger and Ozzie Kvithammer. They already owned a business that imported food and other products from Scandinavia. This company was known as ScanSelect, Inc., and adding a good quality Scandinavian food retail store was the next logical step. The current owners felt it was time to expand the store and moved to a larger location close by. A small café was also added and now Scandinavian open faced sandwiches and yellow pea soup are served 6 days a week. We offer a full selection of Scandinavian imported foods and in our store you can buy all the homemade goodies as well. The gift items have grown to include Scandinavian Sweaters, Jewelry, Books, Home Décor, and many souvenir type items, and lots of Ole and Lena fun items. Anne-Lise and Ozzie are very anxious to keep Scandinavian traditions alive in the US and have already added many new products to the list of hundreds of products.
Every day, Bjorn Rood works to keep history alive. We have recipes for sausages and several types of fish products that go back to the stores founding in 1962. And Scandinavian specialties is the vehicle to do that, through the small pieces of culture and the classic dishes they serve. Our newest and most popular is the Lingonberry Tart. We also sell a lot of Norwegian waffles with goat cheese. He was raised in a Norwegian speaking household, a language he gets to share here too. I feel lucky to have a sense and a connection to my heritage in that regard. How are you doing? I'm starving. OK, what can we get for you? But the future of the store is now uncertain. Property records show his landlord sold this building and the one next door for 2. 9 million. I sold it to more townhomes. Well, I don't know yet. I've been kept in the dark about everything. Which has left him and his customers wondering what's next. Since I started Norwegian, I am very close to these Scandinavian countries. Angela Gavir's husband was born in Norway and losing a place But I mean, how many more apartments can you put up, It's tough. I But it's tough to see some of the things go away. Wood says the good news is they have a one year termination on their lease. But finding a space Triple. I've looked. I've looked at it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Commercial real estate is astronomical. Some fish cakes, sir. Yeah. Gotta have fish cakes. My mother's not around anymore, so I might have a look. All right, well, we've got you covered. But he wants to stay around for the regulars and those just looking to try their first taste of Scandinavia. An important part of Ballard'story and his families, too. The hope is to definitely stay in Ballard and to continue for the next generations, providing at least an experience that speaks to this history and what this community has been in Ballard. Take care. Thank you. Bye, Michael Crow, King 5 News.
