The Mountlake Terrace City Council formally welcomed Zeeks Pizza to town with a ribbon cutting Thursday night.

Mountlake Terrace Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright led the sunset ceremony, joined by Mayor Pro Tem Bryan Wahl, Councilmembers Rick Ryan and Laura Sonmore, and city staff.

Zeeks Pizza opened in August at 24015 Van Ry Blvd. The restaurant is on the ground floor of Terrace Station East, the second of three new buildings combining commercial and residential space just a short walk from future light rail.

This is a second location for owners Jillian Gant-Cline and Shane Cline, who also run the Zeeks in Lynnwood. Former longtime residents of Mountlake Terrace, they now live in Brier. Husband and wife designed and built out the restaurant themselves, working with the Community and Economic Development team at City Hall.

“The city was very helpful through the permitting and buildout process, which helped us as small business owners,” Gant-Cline said.

The couple wanted a centralized location with access to parks, residential areas and retail. They also chose Mountlake Terrace for its vitality.

“I just saw the MLT station as a more modern version of what was already there, bringing community together where you have nice walking boulevards connecting the light rail into the community,” Gant-Cline said. “It just felt like a nucleus spot with a lot of energy.”

She and her husband look forward to hosting youth sports teams and large family gatherings both indoors and outdoors, with plans to add heaters and partial enclosures to their sizeable covered patio. They’re already partnering with local schools to support fundraisers, too.

So far, the most popular items in addition to the pizzas have been craft beers, house cocktails, and “our huge, fresh, baked, not fried Buffalo wings,” she said. “The wings have been a favorite!”

They also offer vegetarian and gluten-free options, with hopes to start a lunchtime by-the-slice program in November. Zeeks Pizza is open 4-9 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.