As it enters its sixth year in business, Vashon’s uniquely monikered burger joint is up for sale while its owners are working on their next culinary adventure a little farther south — but don’t worry, Zombiez will remain open for business as usual until a buyer is found, and perhaps even after.

To answer our questions and set the island’s ever-active rumor mill straight, Zombiez owners Jim Hassell and Corlean Payne discussed their decision and move with The Beachcomber via email.

While business is good at the restaurant, with annual sales reportedly nearly triple what they were just prior to their purchase of the former “Zoomies” in 2012, an opportunity presented itself down the Oregon Coast that was too good to pass up — the Inn at Otter Crest was in need of someone to take over its restaurant and event space.

“With Jim’s fine dining background and my interest in marine biology and environmental science, we just felt it made sense to pursue it as we looked at our long- term goals,” Payne said.

According to the couple, it took some time to make a final decision as they have had so much of themselves and their lives invested in Zombiez and Vashon, and ultimately it is a bittersweet move.

“We talked about it quietly with staff and friends since last winter, but as we got more and more involved down in Oregon, it became harder and harder to balance the two,” she added.

The couple, who listed Zombiez in late December, took over the Oregon property at the beginning of last summer and have been hosting weddings and private events there since then. They named the restaurant Spyglass, and it is open for breakfast as of last week. Ultimately the goal is to have it be a full breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant. As it currently stands, Hassell spends about 90 percent of his time in Oregon at Spyglass, and Payne and their children spend 90 percent of their time on Vashon.

“We are so lucky to have a solid staff who keep the day-to-day business going,” Payne said. “Our hope is to find someone who wants to continue with Zombiez and build on what we’ve started.”

The couple acknowledge though, that there are many directions a new owner could go with the space.

“We certainly considered a number of possibilities, particularly in the early years when we were struggling to find our footing,” they explained in the email.

And while the family is looking forward to being together full-time and fulfilling their dreams at Otter Crest, they know the transition will not be easy.

“Now we have people from all over coming to eat at Zombiez, not to mention all of our regulars who we’ve gotten to know over the years,” they noted. “We’ve watched babies become grade schoolers, we’ve had high school kids working for us go off to college and graduate, we’ve shared the grief over those who’ve been lost and celebrated big and little victories with this community over our time here. It really is an extended family. That part of it will be hard to leave when the time comes.”

But for now, it’s still business as usual, and the couple will continue to promote Zombiez and support local causes while looking for a buyer.

— By Sarah Low