Viral Instagram reel about running a store on Aurora Avenue tops 2 million views
by Joel Moreno,KOMONewsReporter
Fri, April 3, 2026 at 3:33 PMUpdated Fri, April 3, 2026 at 9:17 PM
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Demi Tran has turned the social media talk about Seattle's Aurora Avenue on its head, and her hot-take video has since gone viral. (Photo: KOMO News)Share storyShare
- Aurora Avenue
- Seattle
- Small business
- Consignment store
- Viral video
- Social media
- Local artists
- Crime perception
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SEATTLE — A video by a Seattle small business owner is going viral for taking a humorous but candid look at what it is like to run a shop along one of the city’s most controversial corridors.
Demi Tran, owner of Big Whale Consignment on Aurora Avenue N, posted a tongue-in-cheek video to Instagram that has drawn 2 million views. In it, she pokes fun at the street’s reputation for crime while highlighting the reality of operating a business there.
“People kept telling me not to open a business on Aurora Avenue, but I didn’t listen, and now I’m cooked,” Tran said in the video.
Aurora Avenue is widely known in Seattle for issues including gun violence and visible sex work. Tran leans into those perceptions with humor.
“No one wants to come to Aurora for a few different reasons, unless you’re looking for something very specific,” she said with a wink in the video.
But beyond the jokes, Tran says there’s more to the area than its notoriety suggests.
Big Whale Consignment specializes in vintage furniture as well as artwork, plants, clothing, and handmade goods from about 60 different artists and vendors.
Tran launched the business seven years ago after starting out selling furniture from storage units.
“We saw this location, and it was a very big shop, and so we were like, ‘Oh wow, that would be a good location for what we’re doing,’” Tran said.
She later expanded the concept with a “makers market” featuring prints, jewelry, pottery, T-shirts, and other items from local creators.
Despite the shop’s wide selection, attracting customers hasn’t always been easy. Tran said attracting walk-in customers was especially challenging in the early years and again more recently during a slower economic period.
“We had a lot of trouble getting foot traffic,” she said.
Big Whale Consignment has a wide array of goods and works with about 60 artists and vendors. (Photo: KOMO News)
That challenge led her back to social media, where Aurora Avenue has become a frequent topic of discussion.
“They always talked about Aurora, like Aurora was a hot topic on TikTok,” Tran said. “So I was like, ‘Let me talk about how we’re on Aurora.’”
The strategy appears to be working again. Tran said the latest viral video is already drawing new attention to the consignment store.
While the corridor’s reputation persists, Tran said her personal experience has been more nuanced.
“Well, I just know it’s a reality of being here. I really haven’t had problems,” she said.
She acknowledges the issues that bring negative attention to Aurora Avenue but believes they don’t define the entire area.
“I think the area is very valued and there are parks and neighborhoods and schools in the area,” Tran said. “People don’t realize what a cool area it can be.”
For Tran, the focus remains on running her business and supporting local artists, even as her storefront sits in the middle of one of Seattle’s most talked-about streets.
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“We try to find the humor in every day,” she said.
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