Zippy's Burgers Vs. Evil Bankers

Will Zippy's go dark? We sure as hell hope not.

So, the bank wants Zippy's owners Blaine and Rahel Cook to buy the building for $750K -- a price the couple says is way too high -- and in the meantime, they've been forced to pick up the utility bills for the place, which also is home to JoJos Fine Espresso.

"This whole thing just doesn't make any sense," said Blaine. "The bank has been extremely unfair. They kind of have us by the balls."

The problems started in June and the Cooks have been working in good faith to resolve these sticky issues. They've considered moving, have looked around, but "it's really not as easy as all that," Cook said.

"Once you commit to a new space, there's a huge money drain. We're just a small Mom and Pop. We don't really have those kind of resources," he said. "We'd love to stay here, but our lease is up in April. We need to start negotiating at least a month or two before that."

Until then, you can show Zippy's your support by getting out to this off-the-beaten-path burger joint and ordering up one of those signature sandwiches, which were named the city's best burgers in this year's Best Of Seattle awards. I was in there a couple of weeks ago, chowing down on my favorite veggie burger in the city. Know this going in: This is not fast food. Orders take time to fill. If you're in a hurry, phone it in: 206-763-1347. Hopefully, they won't be so slammed they don't pick up the phone. That happens.

Fortunately, the staff's so darned friendly, you won't be too pissed if you can't get through and must show up in person to place your order. This is just the kind of spot that's got a whole lot of character. The kind of character that builds good karma. We'll see if that's enough to help Zippy's stay put in the space where Cook and his crew have built such a loyal following.