Let’s preface this roundup of recent Seattle restaurant goodbyes by noting that the scene here is looking robust overall, with dozens and dozens of places debuting in and around town since we last chronicled closures way back in April. Also noteworthy: The reopening of Tom Douglas’ longtime local dining institution, The Palace Kitchen, as a hopeful harbinger for the revitalization of downtown.
And as we reported in these pages in mid-May, fans felt despondent about the closure of beloved Marjorie on Capitol Hill, but owner Donna Moodie just couldn’t do it — she’ll be reopening in the Midtown Square development at 23rd and Union in the Central District. The new Marjorie will join what’s shaping up to be a hot spot, with a nexus of Black-owned restaurants including the freshly installed second location of Trey Lamont’s popular Jerk Shack, the forthcoming revival of treasured Ms. Helen’s Soul Bistro, and Kristi Brown’s renowned Communion right across the street. Moodie estimates that the new edition of Marjorie could open as soon as October, and says, “It’s looking good!” (Find out more about the comeback, Marjorie’s backstory, Moodie’s views as a Black female restaurant owner and more in this Seattle Times interview.)
Now to the latest closures, with lots of bright sides to look on …
Black Coffee Northwest in Shoreline: After being targeted multiple times with racist vandalism, harassing phone calls and more, then a dispute with the landlord, this Black-owned cafe and community resource nonprofit closed its Shoreline location last month. The excellent news is that they’ll be reopening this fall in the former Starbucks at 23rd and Jackson — and when they shared their excitement about it on Instagram, more than 3,700 fans loved it, too. As co-owner Darnesha Weary told The Seattle Times last month: “Black businesses were there — they were the heartbeat of that community — and we need to go back and reclaim our space, and again become the heartbeat of that community.” Plans are in the works for a Black Coffee Northwest branch at North Seattle College as well.
By Tae on Beacon Hill: Chef/owner Sun Hong started By Tae as a surprise marvel of a tiny, lunch-only sushi counter inside Capitol Hill’s Chophouse Row — an enterprise that earned James Beard recognition and won a place among GQ’s 2020 “Best New Restaurants in America.” By Tae closed there in early 2021, then moved to Beacon Hill, first featuring meats grilled over coals, then switching more recently to burgers. On June 1, after less than a year in its new location, the restaurant’s social media farewell simply read: “Hey friends, we are closed. Tuesday was our last service, we won’t be reopening. Thank you for all your love and support! We love you!” More than 700 of those friends expressed their thanks, love and support in return on Instagram. Sun — everybody calls him Sun — is “taking a fresh breath,” he says, moving on to a new opportunity out of state for now. All the best to him and his life-and-By-Tae partner, Erin Counts.
Breezy Town Pizza at the Clock-Out Lounge on Beacon Hill: Owner Dave Lichterman explains that the end of his much-appreciated operation inside excellent Beacon Hill venue the Clock-Out comes “due to personal family matters and other assorted complications,” and that he’ll be concentrating on Windy City Pie, his full-service pizza spot on Phinney Ridge. Meanwhile, Clock-Out owner Jodi Ecklund says the place won’t be without pie for long — she’s happy to announce that another local pizzeria is taking over soon. Which one, exactly? She’s not yet saying, but curious fans can stay tuned at instagram.com/clockoutlounge.
Vivace Sidewalk Bar on Capitol Hill: Many longtime locals had long held that Vivace’s walk-up stand on Broadway made the best espresso in the city, and while the cafe a couple of blocks away, as well as a South Lake Union branch, remain open, Seattle just doesn’t feel quite the same. The coffee-bereft left flowers and more at a shrine on the site.
Lan Huê Sandwich & Bakery in Chinatown International District: The Tat family’s banh mi experience extends back nearly 50 years to their shop in Saigon, Vietnam, with this branch opening in 2017 in the Pacific Rim Center and featuring a popular get-six-for-the-price-of-five deal. After some unexpected temporary closures, the business is now permanently gone. The family could not be reached for comment, but best to them.
Optimism Brewing on Capitol Hill: Call this one a closure/not-closure, as Stoup Brewing is set to take over the enormous Broadway brewpub space that will doubtless be packed with fans of the critically acclaimed beer, plus their kids and dogs.
Starbucks in Fremont: This branch of the coffee mermaid giant permanently shuttered on June 2, with a local source reporting that staffers were offered jobs at other locations.
