The Seattle Weakly article was a study in denial. A typical attribute of owners who were closing businesses was “Oh, everything is just peachy but I’m tired of the restaurant business”.
The problem is that it is still too soon to accurately gauge the damage. Seattle proper is (as this piece alludes) very prosperous and in a position to absorb more economic blows that many other locales.
But not forever.
“Oh, everything is just peachy but I’m tired of the restaurant business”.
Bet they start up again somewhere near without the wage mandate.