Business profile: Wild Birds Unlimited, Lake Forest Park

The store is located in the Lake Forest Park shopping center, 17171 Bothell Way NE
Photo by Jerry Pickard

By Jerry Pickard

In 1990 Greg and Eloise Armstrong were ready to start a business of their own. After shopping around they became interested in a Wild Birds Unlimited franchise. At that time there were no WBU franchises west of the Mississippi. However, a franchise had opened in Vancouver, British Columbia. So they packed up the kids and went to Vancouver to see what Wild Birds Unlimited had to offer. 

Friendly clerks at Wild Birds Unlimited
Photo by Jerry Pickard

Finding that the company met the standards that they had set for a new business venture they returned home and on November 7, 1991 they opened their first store at Southcenter. 

One year later they opened a second store in Edmonds just north of Aurora Village. The stores were both successful but the floor space was small and travel between Southcenter and Edmonds proved to be a problem so they sold the Southcenter store in 1996. 

Assistant Manager Daphne Legg discusses the merits of
various bird baths with a customer.
Photo by Jerry Pickard

The space next to Albertsons in Lake Forest Park's Towne Center became available. A large part of their business came from the Lake Forest Park area so the Armstrongs decided to close the Edmonds store and move to Lake Forest Park. 

In November of 2000 they opened their store at the present location. They sell a wide variety of goods related to gardening and the outdoors -- bird houses and feeders, a wide variety of seeds and suets, native plants, garden ornaments and wind chimes, to name a few of their products.

Someone has to do the paperwork - Greg Armstrong in his office.
Photo by Jerry Pickard

The Armstrongs believe in supporting their community and have donated products and cash to support schools and community service groups. They worked with the City of Lake Forest Park to qualify for local and national certification as a National Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Community.