Benbow Room in West Seattle Has New Owner: Ma’ono’s Mark Fuller

Welcome back to Eater News, a semi-regular round-up of mini news nibbles. Do you have information to share? Email information to seattle@eater.com.

Ma’ono is owned by West Seattle Landmark the Benbow Room

A famous barge comes to life. As West Seattle Blog reported, restaurateur Mark Fuller – owner of Hawaiian fried chicken Ma’ono – is taking over the Benbow Room, a decade-old venue known for its cheesy Pirates of the Caribbean vibes. The space has seen several changes of ownership over the past 20 years, most recently an old-school arcade called Vidiot, which closed for good in late 2019, keeping the place in shape for the opening, but few other details have been revealed. The last time the original name was used was a short-lived revival in 2014-15 as Admiral Benbow, a music and cocktail bar. When it’s done, Benbow will be reopening soon as Fuller’s West Seattle restaurant and bar properties alongside Ma’ono, Supreme, and New Luck Toy.

King Donuts in Rainier Beach is about to change significantly

After years of building an eclectic reputation as a bakery teriyaki laundromat, from now on King Donuts will focus on its eponymous dish. The South Seattle Emerald reports that Rainier Beach’s favorite will take a short break from August 5th to 17th, then reopen without the Teriyaki offerings and officially negate the laundromat aspect (which has been closed since 2019). Originally, the components of King Donuts were three separate companies united under one roof, but the Chhuor family – who took over the operation in 2017 – told the Emerald that the laundromat machines were difficult to maintain and food costs rose during the Pandemic, savory items on the menu were challenging. However, the sweet treats are still some of the best in town, from cake donuts covered in chocolate and sprinkles to iced and cinnamon-coated rounds.

Ballards SeafoodFest canceled due to concerns about Delta Variant

Just a few weeks after plans emerged to revive Ballards SeafoodFest for autumn 2021, the event is now over. “Due to circumstances beyond our control, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to create a safe and enjoyable event for everyone,” said a statement by the Ballard Alliance, which hosts the popular festival every year with live music, drinks and smoked fish organized in abundance. The SeafoodFest had been canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, but the Alliance was hoping to bring it back this September in a more scaled-down format. However, as COVID cases in the region have increased in recent weeks due to the more contagious Delta variant, it seemed safer to just get things rid of completely. The organizers hope to be able to host them again next summer.

Sign up for the newsletter

Eater seattle

Sign up for our newsletter.