Two members of the extended Linda’s family are coming back into the fold to guide the Capitol Hill hangout into its next era.
Monday, Bait Shop owners Mike Leifur and Jonah Bergman announced they are joining the ownership of Linda’s as new managing partners.
“Look out, Linda’s Tavern has some new—yet, old—sheriffs in town! We’re very excited to share that Mike Leifur & Jonah Bergman, of Bait Shop fame, have taken an ownership stake in Linda’s. Starting tomorrow, 2/25, they will be the bar’s managing partners,” the announcement reads. “These two have worked alongside Linda Derschang for years and we’re so stoked for them to take this next step.”
The deal will put two former veterans of the Derschang Group in charge of the remaining core of what was once a Capitol Hill nightlife empire. Derschange lieutenants Leifur and Bergman took over her Bait Shop bar in 2016 and have guided the watering hole to a decade and beyond on North Broadway.
Its owners say Bait Shop is well positioned with its lease to remain in place — or find an eventual new home — as its block is readied for redevelopment as a six-story, mixed-use apartment complex.
The changes at Linda’s come as the Pike/Pine bar celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024.
Derschang, the legend goes, got her start on Capitol Hill as a punk kid from Colorado selling tight pants and Doc Martens from her Broadway clothing shop, Basic. Those early neighborhood connections would lead to a fortunate phone call from Sub Pop co-owner Jonathan Poneman. Poneman wanted to get into the bar business after he had come into a little money selling records by a Seattle band that had made it big. Really big. Along with the record label’s Bruce Pavitt, the trio began planning what would become a Capitol Hill institution.
31 years later, Derschang has built her life far from the city and is now almost done finding new paths for the Seattle family of businesses she created from those early Linda’s days. In 2022, she sold Oddfellows to the Queer/Bar family of businesses.
Derschang still owns King’s Hardware in Ballard. And she will stay part of what will now be six owners of Linda’s on Capitol Hill.
“Linda’s needs to have the energy that Mike and Jonah can bring to it,” Derschang said. “It was important to me that Linda’s stayed the same but also stayed relevant.”
Linda’s Tavern is located at 707 E Pine. Learn more at lindastavern.com.
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Getting the band back together. This is great for everyone involved.