Press Release

Commercial Space Consulting & Technical Assistance

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LA UNION STUDIO TAKES ON ROLE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE CONSULTANTS WITH CITY OF SEATTLE’S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Seattle, Washington (May 2023): La Union Studio is proud to be working with the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development to provide technical assistance and support to small businesses through the city’s’ Commercial Space Consultants program. As part of this collaboration, La Union Studio does consulting work with business owners in advocacy with landlords and general contractors, development of budget outlines, space planning and architectural design and project management of the build-out process.

“Like the Seattle Office of Economic Development, La Union Studio is committed to building equity and inclusivity by promoting economic opportunities for all of Seattle’s diverse communities,” said La Union Studio’s Director of Creativity, Sonia-Lynn Abenojar. “The pandemic amplified the needs of our vulnerable entrepreneur and small business economy, especially those in the food service industry, so we are proud to be part of a program that is aiming to address the issues our clients and partners are facing”.

So far, La Union Studio, which was founded by Abenojar and her partner Sergio Max Legon-Talamoni, has worked with an array of small businesses as part of this collaboration with the City of Seattle. They include King Donuts, The Beacon, Kaffa Coffee & Wine Bar and Tabletop Village. The kind of services La Union Studio offers depends on the needs of each business, ranging from obtaining proper permits, architectural and interior design consulting, budget outline and contractor procurement.

“As fellow small business owners, we understand the challenges our partners and clients face in the world of so much uncertainty,” said Legon-Talamoni. “We hold ourselves accountable to advocate for those who may not have access to the resources and who do not know where to turn for help. With each project we work on, be it as consultants for the city or on projects we take on outside of this role, we fold in learning experiences from others and find relationship-building opportunities to build community trust”.

For those interested in applying for commercial space consultant services, they can go to https://www.seattle.gov/office-of-economic-development/commercial-affordability/commercial-space-consultants-program

About La Union Studio

Led by founders Sonia-Lynn Abenojar and Sergio Legon-Talmoni, La Union Studio is a full-service, architectural and interior design studio based in Seattle, Washington. Our studio specializes in the tenant improvements of cultural, retail, hospitality, multi-family and custom single family residential projects. Our designs reflect the beautifully diverse identities of our clients - their community - and the broader fabric of the neighborhood. Some of our clients included Phin Vietnamese Coffee, Raised Doughnuts & Cakes, Bahtoh, 20 Oz Tea, Hood Famous Cafe & Bar and Boon Boona Cafe.

For more information on our work & story, go to www.LaUnionStudio.com

What clients are saying about us

I recommend La Union Studio all the time. They are easy to work with, it felt like a collaboration the entire time, they listen to your wants and desires and really do a great job of incorporating them as well as their own styles to make it incredible.

Mi Kim, Owner, Raised Doughnuts & Cakes

What clients are saying about us

Trusting the process with this team is simple, because they understand the reality of running a business. We trust they will accommodate your needs & the end result will be special.

Maxwell Heigh, Founder, Heigh Connects Food Group

What clients are saying about us

Sergio and Sonia are a perfect balance of accessible and professional, of community-based and institutionally-connected. They can help bridge the often totally disparate worlds of small business and commercial development. Their design solutions to complicated problems are intuitive and straightforward.

Matthew Richter, Interim Executive Director, Cultural Space Agency

What clients are saying about us

La Union Studio has helped us connect with people from the community that we were not in connection with before this project, which allowed more people to know Chebogz's story and legacy. They also have your back when issues rise and they do it in a way that doesn't scare the clients. They care!

Patrixia Paraiso, Owner, CheBogz Filipino Food

What clients are saying about us

With Sergio and Sonia, you get two people who are insanely intelligent, incredibly creative, but also really patient. I really appreciate their ability to stick to a timeline, to meet deadlines, to continue to push and to reach a vision.

Gavin Sullivan, Owner, Madrona Bureau