A beloved landmark on the Blaine waterfront will close its doors at the end of this month. The Railway Cafe, housed inside a 105-year-old train caboose at 795 Peace Portal Drive, will serve its last meal on August 31, 2026, co-owners Vicka and Rodney Haywood announced in a social media post. The couple said they are heading to the East Coast to be closer to family.
The caboose itself dates to 1921, making it one of the more unusual dining venues in Whatcom County. It was originally brought to Blaine by Tony Andrews, owner of the former Tony's Just A Bite, and began its life as a gift shop before transitioning into a cafe in 2009. The Haywoods have run the business since 2018, steering it through the pandemic and more recently through the sharp decline in Canadian visitors that has affected several businesses in Blaine. Their tenure spans some of the most difficult years any small hospitality business could face: a pandemic that shut down dining rooms, a border closure that severed cross-border customer flow, and a slow and uneven recovery that has not returned foot traffic to pre-2020 levels in many border communities.
The End of a Blaine Institution
Blaine sits directly on the U.S.-Canada border, and its economy has long depended in part on cross-border traffic. Canadian visitors historically drove significant business for Blaine's waterfront shops and restaurants, drawn by a favorable exchange rate, the charm of a small American border town, and proximity to shopping that was cheaper or more varied than what was available in the Fraser Valley. That flow has slowed considerably in recent years due to a combination of exchange rate pressures, post-pandemic travel pattern changes, and broader political tensions affecting border communities. The Railway Cafe was not the first Blaine business to feel that pressure, and it is unlikely to be the last.
The cafe currently serves breakfast and lunch daily except Wednesdays, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with extended hours to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. That schedule gives residents and visitors a few more weekends to stop by before the August 31 closing date. The caboose setting, with its cramped interior, period details, and views of the Blaine waterfront, has made it a favorite destination for first-time visitors and a reliable stop for regulars who appreciate its cozy, old-fashioned character. For a certain kind of diner, the novelty of eating inside a 1921 caboose never really wears off.
What happens to the physical caboose after the cafe closes has not been publicly announced. Its age and historical character, more than a century old and one of the more recognizable structures on the Blaine waterfront, may make it a candidate for preservation or adaptive reuse. That will depend on the decisions of the property owner and any prospective buyers or stewards. The Northern Light, which covers Blaine and the surrounding area, first reported the caboose's history in detail in 2025.
New Businesses Arriving in Bellingham
While Blaine loses a longtime fixture, Bellingham is gaining several new businesses that signal continued commercial activity in the city's retail corridors.
Wingstop has opened a new location at 177 Telegraph Road in Bellingham. The chicken chain, which specializes in flavored wings and tenders, is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to midnight. Telegraph Road has seen increased commercial development in recent years, particularly in the strip along the north end of the city near Cordata and the Guide Meridian corridor, where a combination of new housing density and established retail anchors has made the area attractive for chain restaurant operators looking for traffic and visibility.
A more unexpected addition is coming to Railroad Avenue this fall. Emmaquatic's, an aquarium and lounge currently at 1208 Cornwall Avenue, is relocating to the former Woods Coffee space at 1135 Railroad Ave. Owner Emma Langley announced the move on social media, saying the business needs more room for customers to enjoy its offerings. The new space will also house a full coffee bar called Cafe Hazeltree, adding a second revenue stream and a reason to visit even for people who are not specifically seeking out a fish store. The current Cornwall location will close September 1, with the new Railroad Avenue space opening after about a month of buildout. The fish store first opened at its Cornwall location in November 2025, so this is a relatively fast expansion for a young business, a sign that the concept has found an audience.
Railroad Avenue runs through Bellingham's waterfront district, and the former Woods Coffee space has been vacant since that chain closed or consolidated locations. A combination aquarium lounge and cafe is the kind of quirky, locally-driven concept that tends to find a loyal audience in Bellingham's walkable downtown, where residents generally favor independent businesses with a distinct identity over generic chain offerings. The waterfront location also gives the new Emmaquatic's a setting that aligns naturally with an aquatic theme.
Skagit County Also Sees a Closure
Just south of Whatcom County, True North Bakery at 15462 Airport Drive in Burlington will close in September, the business announced on social media on August 12. While Burlington is in Skagit County and outside the primary Whatcom County coverage area, many Bellingham residents make the drive south to Burlington for shopping, dining, and services, and the bakery had followers from across the region who will feel its absence.
The pattern of closures in smaller and border-adjacent communities, combined with continued new openings in Bellingham's commercial core, reflects the broader dynamics of a regional economy where population growth and urban density are concentrating consumer activity in certain corridors while other communities struggle to maintain the foot traffic that small hospitality businesses require to survive. For up-to-date information on local business openings and closings across Whatcom County, the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Sustainable Connections network both track the local business ecosystem and offer resources for entrepreneurs navigating the regional economy. And for anyone who has been meaning to visit the Railway Cafe before it closes, now is the time. August 31 will be here soon.
