07/27/2026
An Open Letter to Seattle City Leadership:
My heart is completely broken over the senseless, devastating shooting at the Bite of Seattle.
The Bite holds a deeply personal place in my story. Back when I was just starting out, it was one of my very first original contracts with this city. That event put Pie Bar in the spotlight and gave me a platform when I was building my business from the ground up. I will forever be grateful to them for giving a young, hungry business owner a chance to be seen. They helped build me, and I owe so much of our early momentum to that opportunity.
But what happened this weekend is simply not tolerable. Three people lost their lives, and innocent families—including a toddler—were caught in the crossfire.
Mayor Wilson and City Council, I need you to hear this: Every single day, young restaurateurs and chefs come out to these events, especially at the beginning of their careers. They wake up before dawn, they pour their entire souls into their prep, and they stand out there in those tents with one simple, vulnerable hope: that people will taste their food and feel the love they put into it. They are sharing a piece of themselves, trying to make an honest living and bring this city together.
To have that hustle, that heart, and that community met with such horrific violence is devastating. It forces us as business owners to ask you the hard questions: Where is the protection for our small business owners and our communities? Where is the humanity?
Those vendors had to run for their lives and abandon their livelihoods. We cannot just watch this happen, offer thoughts and prayers, and move on to the next news cycle. How are we going to make real, tangible change in this city? Seattle must be a place where creators, chefs, and families can gather safely to celebrate our local food culture without looking over their shoulders in fear.
You are the leaders of this city. We need you to step up. We need real protection for the people who make Seattle vibrant.
We have to do better. We have to demand better.
With a heavy heart,
Natalie Lindsay-Maylor
Founder & CEO, Pie Bar Restaurant Group
