HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you.
Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.
After 46 years as a neighborhood tavern, the Canterbury is making plans to close in a deal that will transform the longtime dive turned alehouse into a new restaurant with new owners.
No date has been announced for last service at the 15th and Mercer pub but staff have begun informing patrons. Owner Ryan Lewis said earlier this year that a deal was in the works and the new ownership has declined to comment until the transaction is closed in coming weeks.
The closure will bring to an end the Canterbury’s claim to operating one of the longest running bars on the Hill — though its reign pales in comparison to the DeLuxe, king of Broadway since the 1930s.
In 2018, Lewis, who also owned the now shuttered Amber in Belltown and is not that Ryan Lewis, took over the Canterburyβs latest incarnation on 15th Ave E in the overhauled space in Community Roots Housingβs affordable Fredonia Apartments building. Most recently, Lewis tried to stoke business by joining the bar within a bar trend and cash in on Capitol Hill’s craft cocktail economy by converting the Canterbury’s banquet room into The Apothecary.
There have been other challenges. During 2020’s Black Lives Matter and anti-police protests, the bar was vandalized after Lewis posted messages on social media saying βlooters should be shot.β Lewis would later tell CHS he regretted “calling for an escalation in violence.”
The modern Canterbury was truly shaped by two princes of Capitol Hill nightlife that rode into battle to save — and reinvent — the beloved tavern a decade ago.
Neumos partner Mike Meckling, and Samβs Tavern owner James Snyder hooked up in 2013 to bring the Canterbury into the new era of Capitol Hillβs food and drink boom after Community Roots Housing — then known as Capitol Hill Housing — began a search for new owners. Nine years ago in March of 2013, Capitol Hill was worried about the impending doom of the favorite dive.
At one point, Lost Lake partners Jason Lajeunesse and David Meinert were attached to the project before stepping aside for the Meckling-Snyder link-up. Prolific Seattle restaurant designers Graham Babba set about overhauling the legend as Meckling and Snyder helped former owners Stefanie and David Roberge get a good start on retirement, buying the business outright, including the Canterbury name.
The 13-year Roberge reign was part of the Canterbury’s darker, dive-y, more colorful past. βBasically, Capitol Hill Housing wants a yuppie place,β Stefanie Roberge told us about the decision to sell out and move on in the early 2010s.
A similar direction has been part of the changes at the Canterbury over recent years and with the pending sale. With a dozen apartments on the upper floors of the 1907-built building, a quieter future for the Canterbury space will likely be appreciated.
More neighbors are also coming. Across the street, a brick, concrete, and metal five-story development inspired by auto row-era preservation on the Hill will eventually replace the old Hilltop Service Station. 15th Ave E’s core, still hobbled by the decision by Kroger to shutter the neighborhood’s QFC in a tiff with the city council over Seattle’s COVID-19 hazard pay requirements, will also eventually see that central block redeveloped into five-story, mixed-use buildings.
Those future days will be a long way from 1987 when ye olde Seattle grunge scene was taking shape and, yes, Soundgarden rocked the Canterbury.
And they will be even further from 1976, the year the Capitol Hill tavern first took shape on 15th Ave E. There were also legends before it. The Gaslight Tavern, described as a cultural “mixing bowl” of a bar, held down the corner in the 1960s and into the 70s.
For now, the Canterbury is still there for you to enjoy, “conveniently located between the hospital and cemetery,” as the old utility pole posters advertising cheap beer or trivia nights used to read, at 534 15th Ave E.
HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you.
Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.
Like the Comet, the Canterbury died a long time ago; the thing occupying the space is a zombie incarnation of its former self. I look forward to the arrival of something new.
I used to love this place, but it really has not been good since Stefanie left. It used to have a great jukebox and interesting patrons with character who contributed to the neighborhood’s art and music scenes. Now it’s just a typical sports bar with loud bros either yelling at dudes standing right next to them or dumbly staring at tv sets, and the music is the same awful, basic pop you’d hear at Applebees. It turned really dull and dropped from my list of favorite neighborhood bars once Ryan took over. Maybe the next iteration will be better.
This is great news! I hope Linda Derschang takes it over!
My first beloved bar in Seattle when I arrived in 2000. I found it the first day I was in Seattle as I completed a long pedestrian journey applying for jobs. Hollywood Video and Blockbuster will still years from folding and Broadway still fun and funky.
I entered to apply and though I was informed there was no place for me by a surly bartender, I immediately felt at home.
22 years later, I still count some of the patrons I befriended that first year here as my closest friends.
Did you ever meet a man that went by Benny. He was of Mexican decent. I had known him and his wife back in the 60s. Her name is Diane and they divorced but she still went there.l moved from Seattle to Honolulu for 38yrs and live in Salem Or. We had alot of mutual friends. My name is Karen Busby if anyone has info.
Still no good sports bars on Cap Hill, this was almost passable but rarely saw people in there. Between a hospital and cemetery indeed.
bills off broadway used to be amazing before all the tech bros came rolling in. canterbury also used to be amazing before the neo-nazis started rolling in
Back when the Stranger published a “Drunk of the Week” picture, a large percent of them were draped over the Canterbury’s suit of armor near the entrance. Their bar, along with the ones at the Jade Pagoda and Ernie Steel’s always seemed frozen in time; the same people drinking the same drinks, having the same conversations decade after decade. And a toast to Stefanie, a truly remarkable woman.
And to Susie and Anna, the sweet servers.
The age range of the customers spanned abut 50 years, and no one was there to be “seen”. It was a great place.
Could this Susie be Suzanne? If so I worked with her at a different capitol hill establishment for years. She was great.
Ernie Steele’s? Well that dates you. Twas a great spot though, better than the Canterbury any day.
Ileen’s was where is was at!
When I worked there we use to have a “tab of the week” posting. One guest consumed 15 cocktails in a 2 hour span of time. Amazingly, he was able to walk out.
Not surprised to read the Capitol Hill Housing was pushing to yuppify the space. I used to respect the hell out of CHH until I actually moved into one of their properties.
I worked for David and steph from 1999 to 2013 when it closed. It ended for me then… twas a magical place.
Good riddance, hope the new place doesn’t remain an SPD hangout
I didn’t really want to disparage the place, but the last time I had a tasty greasy burger there I tested positive for ecoli a few days later. Not fun.
That was the last week of February 2020. I remember it well.
After the racism displayed by owner, I’m not mad about this.
Hmmm. Racism? Like a lot of folks they probably didn’t like their property being destroyed. The owner made a stupid statement that obviously made him a target. “Looters should be shot” is not exactly a racist comment in my view. Just a stupid one.
Especially since most of the folks causing the problems last year were the black bloc trust fund white kids.
need to know what is happening to the suit of armor!!
Had terrible experiences with the waitstaff being rude and a deceptive promotion which ended up being worthless. Never went back. Good riddance.
The ironic part is the original owner of the Canterbury, Peggy Clark passed away soon after. I worked there in the early 1980’s – tough times. I enjoyed going back in the mid 2000’s and sad that it couldn’t make it.