According to a press release, Seattle entrepreneur Marcus Lalario is bringing a new food and beverage destination to Bellevue’s rapidly evolving Wilburton neighborhood, marking an early phase in a larger mixed-use redevelopment project on the Eastside.
Lalario, founder of Sugar Shack Unlimited, has partnered with Kirkland-based KG Investment Properties and Harrison Street Asset Management to launch Willie Burton’s, a new Bellevue food hall located at 600 116th Avenue NE. The project will occupy a former car dealership site and is expected to debut this summer.
The venue will serve as a community-focused food and beverage hall, anchored by Lalario’s Seattle-born burger concept, Lil Woody’s. It will also introduce a new full-service bar, The Bar @ Willie Burton’s, along with two casual dining concepts from James Beard Award-winning chef Brady Ishiwata Williams, known for his work at Tomo in White Center.
In total, Willie Burton’s will feature four food and beverage concepts under one roof, including a new location of Lil Woody’s, a full-service bar, and two casual dining concepts from chef Brady Ishiwata Williams.
Sugar Shack Unlimited will oversee branding, design, marketing, operations, and event programming for the project.
Willie Burton’s is intended to function as a neighborhood gathering space, with both indoor and outdoor areas designed for dining, socializing, and events. Planned features include a beer garden and a children’s play area adjacent to the Eastrail corridor.
The opening represents what developers describe as “Phase Zero” of a broader vision to transform a seven-acre site near the future Wilburton light rail station into a high-density, mixed-use development. Long-term plans call for approximately 600 residential units—including mid-rise and high-rise apartments and townhomes—along with roughly 20,000 square feet of retail and dining space.
The site sits at a key intersection of regional infrastructure, including the Eastrail, a 42-mile multi-use trail connecting Renton to Woodinville, and the planned Grand Connection Crossing, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that will connect the area over Interstate 405 to downtown Bellevue and Meydenbauer Bay.
The development is also supported by the City of Bellevue’s rezoning of the 300-acre Wilburton neighborhood, completed in summer 2025, which aims to accommodate increased density and transit-oriented growth.
Lalario said the project reflects a long-standing goal to expand Lil Woody’s to the Eastside while creating a space centered on community and cultural activity. Chef Williams added that the partnership provides an opportunity to help shape the Eastside’s growing dining scene.
“Willie Burton’s reflects our approach to mixed-use development,” said Peter Kaye, partner and portfolio manager of residential real estate and mixed use at Harrison Street Asset Management. “We look for neighborhoods where infrastructure investment and community demand create conditions for thoughtful, long-term growth. Wilburton’s transit connectivity, trail access, and recent rezoning align with the qualities we consider when evaluating residential and lifestyle opportunities. Supporting food and beverage programming on this site reflects our broader commitment to building communities where people want to live, work, and spend time.”
Developers say the combination of transit access, trail connectivity, and new housing positions Wilburton as a key area for long-term growth. Willie Burton’s is expected to be one of the first public-facing components of that transformation when it opens later this year.
