RIP 2019 – Seattle Restaurant & Bar Closures

Pouring One Out For The Homies

There were so many restaurant closures in Seattle. There were the former hot spots that we were surprised to see go – Girin, Little Uncle , Skitka & Spruce. There were some where the writing was on the wall – Sansei, Dexter Brewhouse, Il Fornaio. There just wasn’t anybody there when we visited. There were also a lot of old timers who’d been open for over 10 years and some over 20 years, so we were shocked that they closed down- Tango(19 yrs), Poppy(11 yrs) , Seattle Deli(27 yrs), Peso’s(20 yrs).

Here are some of the places we reviewed that decided to call it quits:

Junkichi Robata Izakaya– This one is really surprising. It had just opened in 2018. When we went it was packed, the food and service were great, and the location was perfect. According to some of the newer reviews on Yelp right before shutting down mentioned service issues, smaller portions and quality issues. The reason for the closure is a mystery, but the space is apparently being taken over by the owners of Suika/Tamari Bar.

Little Kitchen– Another place that just opened in 2018. According to this Seattle Times article, it just became too much work for the owners to maintain. We’re a little less surprised about the closure of Little Kitchen, but are surprised how quickly it happened. Competition is fierce both on The Ave and for Chinese dumplings.

Trove – Another surprising, but not surprising closing.  Surprising in that the other Relay restaurants are super popular and successful, Joule and Revel.  Not surprising in that the space that Trove was occupied was huge and in the competitive neighborhood of Capitol Hill. It must have been difficult to compete with the multitude of restaurants in the area and to fill such a huge space night after night. Also, there are so many cheaper alternative Korean BBQ places in Seattle.

BBQ Smith – They decided to focus on catering only and sold the brick and mortar after two years. Its being taken over by Don Lucho’s, a Peruvian lunch truck.  It’s really a shame, because we just discovered BBQ Smith and they had an awesome happy hour deal. 

The Hi Life – Strangely, this is a closure that we agree with. Not because the food was bad, it just sorta gets lost in the Seattle restaurant landscape. The space is staying in the CHOW Food(The 5 Spot, Endolyne Joe’s, TNT Taqueria) family and being changed into an Italian restaurant. We’re hoping they keep some of the old fire station details in the new space.

Ventoux Roasters –The few times we went there it was always crowded. It seemed like one of those coffee shops that would be sustained by neighborhood patrons of Ravenna, so it didn’t really need to be in a hip area or a busy main street. I couldn’t find a explanation on their website,  Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Palomino – This is the saddest closing for sentimental reasons. We rarely came here, but it’s where my wife and I first met.  Here’s an excerpt from the blog post of our favorite bars in Seattle:

Any Seattleite reading this is saying, “WTF”? The Palomino is a restaurant located in the City Centre in downtown Seattle. They do have a bar area with an actual bar that they claim is the longest in length in Seattle. Their happy hour is okay, but nothing special. Their beer selection and cocktails are ordinary. The atmosphere is a little strange because it’s open on a floor within a building kind of like a bar in a hotel or train station.  So why is this our favorite bar in Seattle?  This is where my wife and I first laid eyes on each other and met. She was in town for a convention. I worked downtown. It was easy to find and centrally located so that’s where we met. I guess we’re just sentimental fools.

Sadly, Ballard Loft , NW Peaks Brewing, Naked City & The Leary Traveler mentioned in our Favorite Bars post also closed down in  2019.

Sad to see these places go, but the Seattle economy is booming right now. People are eating out more than ever. If you can’t be successful in this environment, then maybe it’s best to cut your losses. I think the higher minimum wage is also having an affect on some of the smaller businesses. Sadly, we believe with such a high number of restaurant and the inevitability that the Seattle economy will slow down, we’re bound to see more closures in 2020.

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