Multiple windows and doors were smashed along the 700 block of Broadway in Capitol Hill between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with a nonprofit bookstore and salon among the vandalized businesses.
Employees at Quest Bookshop, which opened in 1969, found their windows smashed and front door shattered Thursday morning. The damage could present a significant financial burden for the small business.
“Because we sell books about magic and karma, some of us were hoping they might take one of those books,” joked employee Josh Anderson. “But no, they didn’t take anything or get into the shop.”
Anderson said the store’s surveillance camera captured the crime and revealed the suspect pulled up in a Kia vehicle with some type of tool to break the glass doors and windows.
In a social media post, the store’s manager said the insurance deductible could exceed the actual replacement costs. “It’s really tough because we’re a small nonprofit book shop. We skate right by the edge all the time,” Anderson said.
The Dawson Salon, located in the Loveless Building, was also targeted. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, requiring repairs to meet certain standards.
Leigh Dawson, the salon’s owner, declined to speak on camera, but shared photos of the damage and expressed gratitude to the repairman who replaced her windows within hours.
Both businesses remain open. “You’re welcomed to be in community with other people seeking things beyond material, beyond broken windows and frustration,” Anderson said. “We just encourage everyone to come on down.”
The Seattle Police Department did not respond to a request for additional information about the incidents.
The vandalism appears to be targeted rather than opportunistic theft, as nothing was taken from Quest Bookshop despite entry being possible. The use of a vehicle and tool to systematically damage multiple businesses along the same block suggests a deliberate pattern rather than random property destruction.
The financial impact on small businesses like Quest Bookshop, which operates as a nonprofit, can be devastating when insurance deductibles exceed repair costs, forcing businesses to absorb expenses that squeeze already tight margins.
Historic building designations, while preserving architectural character, create additional compliance requirements and costs for repairs, as Dawson Salon faces with the Loveless Building’s National Register status.
