Only a few national restaurant chains have been tough enough to last around Capitol Hill and the Central District but a new player has entered the arena along E Madison.
Pizza chain Papa Johns is now open in the Avant Apartments across from fhe Central District Safeway at the fuzzy dividing line between the neighborhoods.
The pre-pandemic development has slowly been filling its ground floor retail spaces. The new fast food pizza shop joins local handroll bar Uminori that took over the space where this upscale Japanese binchotan charcoal concept never caught on and plans for a new Indian grocery to fill the Avant commercial footprint.
The arrival of the built on “conservative values” chain is probably less interesting than it might have been a few years ago before a racist conference call forced company founder and face of the corporation John Schnatter out of power.
Today, the company has cut public-facing and management ties with Schnatter and continues to grow its franchise takeout and delivery business.
Located at the Capitol Hill/Central District dividing line, Papa Johns identifies as “Capitol Hill”
It is difficult to sort out exactly who owns the new “Capitol Hill” E Madison location. The limited liability corporation listed in the paperwork also appears on the permitting for the Ballard shop. The corporate documents for both locations also roll up to other various holding and registration companies.
The locations are part of four Papa Johns-eses in the city, according to online listings. Papa Johns franchisees tend to own multiple locations with one owner putting holdings of 19 “Western Washington” locations up for sale in 2018.
The opening comes as Starbucks, one of the biggest of big chain food and drink, pulled up the stakes on a handful of its multiple Seattle locations — including cafes in the Central District and Capitol Hill — last year citing concerns over public safety in its hometown and several other major U.S. cities as it does battle with unionization efforts. Starbucks does, however, still license its brand and offerings for the cafe inside the E Madison Safeway.
In the meantime, independent pizza from high craft to simple pies remains strong in the area along with a couple Domino’s locations and, now, a Papa Johns.
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There is literally a Starbucks across the street from the Papa John’s in Safeway.
Starbucks isn’t afraid of Capitol Hill they’re just sick of having their windows smashed. Now we have all empty buildings with nothing in them, at least we used to have public bathrooms for the area.
People think Starbucks is a terrible company then are Ok with papa Johns? Wtf.
Yes, it’s all too easy to bash Starbucks. But it’s a fact that they have provided huge numbers of good jobs locally as well as nationally/internationally, as well as “third spaces” for people to hang out in. Let’s give them some credit!
No, they were pissed the workers were trying to unionize and blamed it on anything else.
who is “people”? this business didn’t run a poll of the neighborhood or this comment section before moving in. and no one here is saying papa johns is great. Anyway, we have empty buildings because the rent is so high – half the new buildings in the city have giant ground floor retail spaces no one can afford. For Lease!!
Yards from Dominoes and their equally awful pizza. Sorry if there is a kind franchise owner behind the scenes but I hope they fail
Are you, though?
I agree. Out of anything that could go in that corner, a Papa John’s?? The only bright side – they’re putting corporate dollars into setting up a kitchen and restaurant infrastructure in the space that will probably help a local business get started if they fail. It’s currently just a concrete hole and that takes a lot more money to turn into a restaurant.
I’m still kinda miffed that big box chain Walgreens went in on 15th Ave where local and lovely City People’s used to be. But we must lie down to hyper capitalism’s mandate that the big must eat the little right?
Are you pissed that Walgreens moved in, or that City People’s moved out? Cuz I’m pretty sure Walgreens couldn’t have moved in, if City People’s was still there…?
What happened to plans for the Indian grocery. Did they get scrapped or are they still in place ?
never caught on and plans for a new Indian grocery to fill the Avant commercial footprint.
Domino’s pizza funded the modern Pro-Life movement ( yes I know it was the founder, the money that was shoveled into Operation Rescue has certainly never been balanced out by the corporation ).
Restaurants cannot save you. Make food at home and you’ll be better prepared for the impending collapse.
Kitchen fires are responsible for burning down thousands of homes every year. Save yourselves! Order food and let the professionals shoulder the risks.
be normal
Bring on Dunkin’ Donuts or more independent coffee houses. The ones that are here can get packed!
Starbucks stopped being relevant in cities long ago. It makes perfect sense for them to move out. They are for the suburban class, not the urban class. Enjoy your blended coffee-flavored soda replacements!