Food & Drink
Sano Expands with New Eastside Locations
The Mercer Island-based fast-casual café opens in Bellevue and Kirkland, with Redmond coming soon
By Sarah Stackhouse July 9, 2025
Sano has opened its second café, the first of three new locations planned for this summer.
The new spot is in Downtown Bellevue, with a soft-opening set for July 11 in Kirkland, and another café coming to Redmond later this month. The original Sano location launched on Mercer Island in 2015. Sano means “healthy mind and body” in Italian.
The new Bellevue location, at 453 106th Ave. E., sticks to Sano’s housemade formula: smoothies, cold-pressed juices, avocado toasts, and protein-packed bowls and boxes. About 80% of the menu is prepped in-house — from plant-based milks and dressings to syrups and protein bites.
Founded by Lisa Nordstrom and now backed by Seattle-based Conscious Hospitality Group (which also supports Wonderbowl and Just Poké), Sano focuses on mostly organic ingredients, microplastic-free packaging, and plans to go seed oil-free by the end of the year. Toasts come on Macrina Bakery bread (with gluten-free options), and bowls feature wild salmon, grass-fed beef, black rice, yuzu-ginger cucumber, and pasture-raised eggs. Spring water is used in drink prep, and the café also serves coffee from Café Vita.
The space is designed to be calming, with soft lighting, natural textures, and open seating.
Sano is part of a growing trend in fast-casual dining — counter-service cafés that offer freshly made, higher-quality meals without full table service. It’s a model that’s taken off in Seattle, where diners want convenience but still care about ingredients. Sweetgreen, a national fast-casual chain, has more than 230 locations across the U.S. and recently opened its third Seattle-area café in Capitol Hill.
Sano Bellevue is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekends. The Kirkland location will offer 25% off all items this Saturday and Sunday before opening daily July 17.
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