Get it out of your system and say goodbye to Bill’s and hello to Pelicana

From permit applications for the new signage

The space home to one of the first to fall among Capitol Hill’s long-running food and drink establishments battling the COVID-19 crisis will also be one of the first to rise back up with a new, much younger venture.

Pelicana Chicken, the US offshoot of the popular South Korean chain, is coming to the corner of Pine and Harvard and ready to begin construction overhauling the former Bill’s Off Broadway in time for a pre-summer 2021 opening.

Owner J Hwang tells CHS he is respectful of Bill’s long history on the Hill and knows if it wasn’t for the pandemic, a young business venture like his likely would not have a chance to start in Pike/Pine.

“It can be a chance to get started,” Hwang said. “I think I can make it.”

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Hwang comes to the project with experience starting and operating two cafes in the city, Caffe Torino — one at the University of Washington and another in South Lake Union.

For his first restaurant, the opportunity to start with the Pelicana concept gives him the base to shape into a spot he hopes will be popular in the neighborhood. While Bonchon, another recent Korean chicken import to the neighborhood gives the area an Instagrammable take on the comfort food, our Pelicana will be come more from an E Pine spun Buffalo Wild Wings angle with beer, wine, booze, and plenty of sports on the TVs.

Capitol Hill neighbors can also add Neumos-adjacent Bok a Bok to the list of Korean-style fried chicken available within a few block’s walk.

Despite the new energy, some will still mourn the passing of Bill’s. CHS reported in June as the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis brought a sudden end to the venue’s 40-year run on the Hill.

Long-time owner Don Stevens told CHS he acquired the original Bill’s around 1995 after working in sales nearby at Phil Smart Mercedes and as the general sales manager at the E Pike BMW showroom before that. In 2013, Bill’s was uprooted from its corner to make way for redevelopment, closing for a two-year hiatus before returning as part of the new apartment building that rose at the corner. It reopened to much celebration just in time for football season in 2015.

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Now, a new season begins. Hwang says the transformation of Bill’s into Pelicana will include a remodeled bar, overhauled dining area, and new lighting. Shaped by the needs of the pandemic, plans also include a remodeled patio and a new cashier setup that makes it easier to handle the logistics of meal delivery and pickup.

The plan is for Pelicana be open around May and, who knows, maybe start a 40-year run of its own.

Pelicana Chicken will open later this year at 725 E Pine. You can learn more at pelicanausa.com.

CORRECTION: When first published, this post incorrectly identified Pelicana’s owner on second reference by his first name. We have corrected the post. 

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