Coastal Kitchen will close this month after more than 30 years of business on Capitol Hill as the restaurant’s ownership says it has sold the 15th Ave E property to make way for a new restaurant.
The Sound Restaurant Family announced the planned closure and sale Friday. The identity of the buyer has not been revealed and is not yet public record. The 4,249-square-foot restaurant and the 1924-era building it calls home were recently listed for sale for $2.5 million.
“The 15th Ave E neighborhood in Seattle’s Capitol Hill is a vibrant and diverse area known for its unique character and community atmosphere,” the listing reads.
“We are so grateful to have been a part of Coastal Kitchen for these past eight years,” owners Dan and Jonathan Tweten said in a statement sent to CHS. “It’s been an honor to be part of this neighborhood and community, and we will miss it.”
Somehow, there were no serious injuries after a driver smashed into Coastal’s front in 2022
Coastal has been serving the neighborhood for 31 years. CHS reported here in 2023 as the restaurant returned to brunch and weekday lunch service after an overhaul that saw its concept shift from diner to a more upscale “fish house” approach.
That restart came seven years after the Tweten company of Puget Sound area neighborhood restaurantsĀ purchased the business and the building as part of a $2 million land deal. The business survived the major challenges of pandemic closures and a May 2022 automobile crashĀ that shut down the restaurant.
The new buyer will join a 15th Ave E in the middle of a wave of change. Across the street, Capitol Hill developer Hunters Capital is preparing plans to transform the oldĀ QFC block of 15th Ave E into new apartments, businesses, and plaza space. When the work up the street where the Hunters CapitalĀ mixed-use project replacing the oldĀ Hilltop Service Station is complete later this year, the clock will start ticking for the QFC block project to start.
Coastal Kitchen’s final day of service is planned for February 21st.
A Farewell Message from Coastal Kitchen
To our dear friends, employees, and guests of Coastal Kitchen,
It is with our deepest gratitude and heavy hearts that we share the news of Coastal Kitchen’s closure. After 31 incredible years, we’ll be closing our doors on āFebruary 21st, 2024.
To our dedicated staff, past and present, you’ve been the heartbeat of Coastal Kitchen. Your commitment, resilience, and humor have shaped countless memorable experiences for our guests. Your dedication has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we’re deeply grateful for all of you.
To all who have dined with us, whether for decades or just discovered us, we extend our heartfelt thanks. Your support and loyalty have been the foundation of our success. We’ve had the honor of being part of your most cherished moments, from birthdays to proposals and everything in between. Coastal Kitchen has been more than a restaurant; it’s been a place where memories were made and community was built.
While this decision wasn’t made lightly, it’s a necessary step as we navigate the evolving landscape of the hospitality industry. We’re immensely grateful for the years of support, but now, we must turn our focus towards new opportunities and ventures.
Coastal Kitchen will always hold a special place in our hearts and in the hearts of Seattle. It’s been an honor to be part of this vibrant community.
With gratitude,
Coastal Kitchen
Coastal Kitchen is located at 429 15th Ave E. Learn more atĀ coastalkitchenseattle.com.
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Not surprising. It’s always dead and overstaffed when I walk by. Between the pandemic, the car smashing the building and a questionable rebranding the writing was on the wall.
I just hope whatever goes in doesn’t leave the space idle too long.
15th is dead.
I would have to disagree. Since the reopening Costal Kitchen is the only restaurant in the neighborhood that expanded its operating hours. I’ve seen it full for brunch, dinner and happy hour. And it was a beautiful space! It will be missed.
I do have to agree that the writing was on the wall… the last couple times I’d been in, there was an odd, desperate vibe. It’s a gorgeous space and I hope someone wonderful shows comes in š¤
Damn. I’ll always remember its glory days, alamo scramble and CRISPY POTS. But yeah it’s not a big surprise.
After the owners came out against the minimum wage increase for restaurant workers I lost all appetite for Coastal Kitchen. Looking forward to something new, hopefully an establishment worth supporting.
Yeah, totally. Even though serving or bartending will net you $20-$40 an hour, small business employers should absolutely be footing an increase of $1500 a year per employee ($30,000 a year for a business with 20 employees) to cover that $.75/hr annual increase. If they say anything showing concern, cancel their asses. They are clearly just greedy and they hate their employees.
$20-$40 an hour *in tips alone*
Bland restaurant to be replaced by shiny new more expensive bland food establishment. Story of this faux company town last 10 plus years.
For $2.5m seems unlikely youād buy it for restaurant- I wonder what it is zoned forā¦
Too narrow unless combined with other parcels for redevelopmentā¦
I’ll just say thanks for bringing some life to 15th for a long time! It’s hard running a business these days.
Another wonderful Seattle institution closing (RIP Joe Bar, Yoga Arts too). This city’s killing everything a lot of people love, and what’s replacing it isn’t always better, or even equal. It’s about money now, not character. And no, Coastal is not always “dead and overstaffed.” The food and service were excellent, compared to many places on the Hill, which is now charmless and overstuffed with bland, badly constructed “boxes with stairs” townhouses. Ugh.