West Seattle Blog… | BIZNOTE: West 5 closes after 19 years

Thanks to the many people who emailed and texted about this: West 5, the beloved West Seattle Junction restaurant/bar, is closing after 19 years. From the email West 5 sent at noon today:

Last call
Closed Saturday February 12

Until then: Monday to Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Calendar and auction overview 2/13 Fruit Cocktail Collections

Thanks, Seattle West
The simple story is that we lost our lease and after eighteen years we have to say goodbye to the old Speedway and Hobby Shop on California Avenue. Covid and omicron precipitated our closure and unfortunately took away options for a future revival. Thank you West Seattle, and beyond, for your support of this humble endeavor. It was a ride.

Looking back
West 5 opened as a “non-smoking cocktail lounge”, the first of its kind in Seattle, on February 8, 2003.

Our only TV event was West Seattle Little League’s appearance in the 2018 LL World Series Regionals.

Since opening, we have served (more or less) 24,738 Mai Tais, 31,968 Mac N Cheese orders and 17,298 BLTs.

Over the years we’ve tried to stay true, through trend and madness, as the “ideal place to meet”, a quaint vanity, badly bruised by two years of unpredictability.

Thank you for gathering under our crown to create and give memories.

Great neighbors and partners
We are grateful for our deep community partnerships: WS Senior Center, WS Food Bank & Helpline, Chamber, Historical Society, ArtsWest, our local schools and many more. Thank you for continuing to make WS special.

And to our five-star peers in the WS independent restaurant community – you know who you are – thank you. Keep serving him and signing those checks. The end of the perpetual pivot is fast approaching.

The email goes on to thank current and past employees, then continues:

Souvenirs
We have fun stuff, old and new, for sale. Much will be available via online ordering as well as in store from 31/01. You will see some explosions from the past, take them while they last.

Grab a tee or two when you’re ready for that last Mai Tai or grab a To Go order of Mac N Cheese. We could really use the revenue (hint, all tips go to employees).

Memories, Tall Tales, Lost and Found
Do you have something to say ? We’ll do it the old-fashioned way. Here’s a place to drop off a memory, share a story, or settle a score. We may or may not respond, connect to that “I saw you” crush from 2005, or find a way to put together a storybook. But not a podcast, I promise. Never a podcast.

WEST 5 Memory Helpline
206-525-1511

(recorded messages only)

West 5 was founded by West Seattle natives Dave Montoure and Dean Overton. We presented some of the backstory in this 2011 report on the establishment’s 8th anniversary.

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