Rising Sun Produce, a Ravenna fixture, set to reopen soon

The lights will soon come back on at Rising Sun Produce, a beloved produce stand since 1979 in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood.

A fire in February forced the store to shutter. Owner Virgil "Bud" Goodwin said the past six months have been a challenge. But he’s been amazed at how customers, the neighborhood, even the landlord rallied to make sure the store returns.

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"You just want to start crying," he said. "What else can you do, you know?"

On Thursday, Rising Sun will reopen at the same location on 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 65th Street.

Goodwin opened the door to reveal a bright space, free of soot and smoke. He had lived in Central Washington and hoped to own a farm there, but it wasn’t financially feasible. But he knew a lot of farmers — and their produce.

"So, I figured, let’s take a load of produce over to Seattle and see what happens," he recalled.

He discovered he enjoyed selling produce and making people happy with good deals.

"Maybe tomatoes that are a little ripe that grocery stores don’t want or avocados that are a little ripe," he said, for example. "You try to find those deals… that make people happy."

Goodwin said the store will carry mostly local produce for now. It will take another week to add dairy, wine, and other grocery items. Still, he said, he’s grateful to be back.

"The reason I’m still here is because I love this community, the people," he said. "It's changed quite a bit, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the warmth of all the people that are around."