Future of Beth’s Cafe in Seattle in Doubt After Recent Closure

Labor Day was bustling at Beth’s Cafe, a long-standing greasy spoon in Green Lake, and guests gathered to say goodbye – at least for now.

News spread on Reddit last week that the restaurant – which has been around since the 1950s – may be closing permanently. Ownership tried to dispel this rumor and posted a Facebook message on the 3rd due to the pandemic. But it’s still unclear when (or where) a comeback could take place.

The Aurora Avenue Diner is an enduring classic with its old-school vibe and walls adorned with colored pencil drawings from customers. Over the decades, it has built a reputation for serving up reliable home-cooked food around the clock, including a giant 12-egg omelette made famous by TV shows like “Man vs. Food” on the travel channel. In 2002, Port Angeles-born ex-technician Chris Dalton bought the house and “upgraded it to a more stable operation without losing its more appealing quirks,” according to a Seattle Times report.

But the future of the restaurant was a blur for a while, with factors beyond the pandemic. In April 2020, Dalton died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, about a year after he put the house up for sale, leaving his widow Hazel to take over the coat. Beth’s Cafe was worn for a few months when the pandemic first hit the region in early 2020 and then closed last October, sparking initial rumors of a permanent shutdown.

The restaurant reopened in July this year with changed opening times, but according to a recent statement from Beth’s Cafe, “the increase in cases due to the Delta variant along with the resulting food complications, increased food costs, changed opening times and staff shortages”. made it difficult to stay open. “Our plan now is to be back in 3-6 months – or whenever Covid is better under control.”

Despite this possibility, there seemed to be mixed news (or at least misunderstanding) between the owners of Beth’s Cafe and the staff over the past week. A Reddit post by a user posing as an employee said Hazel Dalton had sold the property and was planning to close it permanently, with workers being given just days in advance. General Manager Janelle Norviel confirmed to MyNorthwest that the property had indeed been sold and that if the restaurant ever reopened it would have to be in a different location.

For the past year and a half there have been facilities in Seattle that have closed and later revived, including the Jules Maes Saloon in Georgetown and most recently the College Inn Pub in the U District – so it’s hard to fully count Beths. The property is supposed to keep an eye on the official Facebook page for updates. “A temporary business interruption is being made to ensure Beth’s long-term viability,” it said in a statement. “That’s a good sign – not a bad one.”

Eater Seattle has reached out to both Beth’s Cafe and Norviel for more information, including clarifying the property sales, and will update this article as more information comes in.

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