Kirkland Shorts
Description: If you grew up in Kirkland, Washington in the '60s through the '80s, you probably remember Bel-Kirk Motors. Located at Central Way and Lake Street, Bel-Kirk was one of the only car dealerships in the downtown area. The small indoor dealership was just 48,000 square feet, or a little over an acre, and only sold a couple of Swedish nameplates. With a tagline turned radio jingle of "we don't wear ties and we don't tell lies," Bel-Kirk Motors' casual approach helped them sell 600-1200 cars a year and build a solid reputation in the community.
Description: A bright, eye-catching composition featuring a blue soda cup with a straw and condensation droplets. To the right, an all-beef hot dog in a bun rests on a red surface, accompanied by small white dishes of yellow mustard, green relish, and red ketchup. Text includes "KIRKLAND SIGNATURE", "ALL-BEEF HOT DOG AND SODA", "$1.50", and "1/2 POUND PLUS 550 - 580 CALORIES".
Description: Kirkland Lake, Ontario is a northern town shaped by its rich gold mining history and strong community spirit. Surrounded by forests and lakes, it reflects the rugged beauty of Northeastern Ontario. This drawing makes a meaningful keepsake or gift for anyone connected to Kirkland Lake.
Description: With big sliding windows by the sidewalk along Lake Washington Blvd., Hector’s was a perfect summer hangout. During football season, it was one of the best places to rub shoulders with Seahawk players enjoying signature dishes such as Hobo Eggs, clam chowder and gourmet hamburgers. Randomly named after a former partner’s daughter’s ex-husband, Hector’s was the kind of place that still made their own salad dressings and hand chopped the salad vegetables, and it showed. Kirkland changed a lot over the years since Hector’s opened their doors in 1975, but their reputation for quality never wavered, not even once.
Description: The first Skate King opened in Bellevue, Washington the day after Thanksgiving in 1974. Skate King Burien opened in 1975 followed by Tacoma in 1976 and Kirkland in 1977. In 1979, Skate King Kent opened and then in in 1980 they opened two centers in eastern Washington - Kennewick and Spokane. Over the years roller skating died off and as such, Skate King began closing locations over the years and before you knew it, the original Bellevue location was the last one standing until it too met it's end in 2015.
Description: A graphic featuring a hot dog with mustard and ketchup, a blue soda cup with a straw, and small cups of relish, mustard, and ketchup. The text reads 'KIRKLAND SIGNATURE ALL-BEEF HOT DOG & SODA 1/4 POUND PLUS! (Hot Dog before cooking) $1.50'. It includes a wholesale club logo.
Description: Celebrate the legacy of Levon Kirkland with this bold pixel art tribute, styled in retro 8-bit gaming fashion. Featuring his number 99 jersey in the iconic black and gold of Pittsburgh, the artwork captures his powerful stance with thick, blocky lines and nostalgic pixel shading. The oversized number behind him pops with cream and black contrast, while the yellow "KIRKLAND" nameplate evokes vintage arcade typography — a perfect throwback to the golden era of football and gaming alike.
Description: Kirkland's Totem Lake Mall is arguably one of America's saddest retail environments and while it's (yet again) slated to be demoed and rebuilt, it's as of this writing still there and just pretty sad. Nonetheless, many Eastside kids of the 70s and 80s may fondly recall the cheesy Native American totem pole décor throughout. This design is taken right from the old wood carved sign that graced the front of the mall and has been long gone for years. This version of the Totem Lake tee is nicely distressed to give it an authentic vintage look.
Description: Totem Bowl opened in 1958 with 16 lanes midway between Kirkland and Redmond on Northeast 70th Street, which is also known as the Old Redmond Road, in what is best known these days as the Bridle Trails neighborhood. Sometime during the '70s, the bowling alley was expanded to 32 lanes to better accommodate the number of bowlers. For the first 40 years, the interior and exterior were decorated with mid-century Native American caricatures, and the lounge was named after Kaw-Liga, the cigar store Indian from an old country song. In 1997, the aging alley got a makeover, losing the Native American decor in favor of a modern theme and name that played off the region's tech industries, but to many, it was always known simply as Totem Bowl.
