Early structures in downtown Seattle were typically wooden and nearly all burned to the ground in the great Seattle Fire of 1889. Built after the fire, the Merchant’s Café, considered the oldest standing restaurant in Seattle, has been in almost continuous use since its founding in 1890. In its 118 years of operation in Pioneer Square, it has survived riots, numerous earthquakes, and a somewhat sordid history. HistoryLink.org reports that there were 92 restaurants in Seattle in 1900. Early 1900 families ate their meals at home, while single men on their way to the gold fields would spend their money and time hanging around in the local bars and cafés.
Featured in this chapter, the 1908 Royal Bar and Café was located on First Avenue in downtown Seattle and gives the readers a glimpse of early city life. Several cafés like the 1910 Gerald’s Café, located in the Coleman Building, and the 1910 Spier Caféteria, where the Norton Building is now, are covered in this chapter. The Bessie B. Waffle Shop had a huge clientele that followed the business from place to place. While these are older places of business few will remember, they are of historic value. Merchant’s Café is still open; have you eaten there? While many travel Snoqualmie Pass, how many know that there was once a 1920s restaurant at Denny Creek?
MERCHANT’S CAFÉ. This c. 1911 photograph of Pioneer Square shows the Merchant’s Café, the oldest almost continually serving restaurant since 1890 in Seattle. Known as the Sanderson Block, the building was designed by W. E. Boone and was built right after the fire of 1889. (Courtesy of PEMCO Webster and Stevens Collection, MOHAI, No. 1983.10.8056.2.)
BOARD AND LODGING RESTAURANT. R. King and D. W. Baskerville took this photograph in 1892 showing frontier and pioneer life in Snohomish County. (Courtesy of the Everett Public Library.)
THE EVERETT RESTAURANT. This photograph shows the Everett short-order restaurant on Hewitt Avenue near Chestnut Street in Everett. R. King and D. W. Baskerville snapped this shot on May 10, 1892. (Courtesy of the Everett Public Library, No. 0740.)
WHITE FRONT RESTAURANT. This photograph, taken on April 4, 1892, by R. King and D. W. Baskerville, shows the White Front Restaurant and Power’s Avenue Grocery on Hewitt Avenue between Walnut and Chestnut Streets in Everett. (Courtesy of the Everett Public Library, No. 0719.)
ROYAL BAR AND CAFÉ. This c. 1908 photograph was taken by Webster and Stevens of the Royal Bar and Café interior. The Royal Bar and Café was listed at 818 First Avenue. (Courtesy of PEMCO Webster and Stevens Collection, MOHAI, No. 1983.10.7636.)
SHAW’S PHARMACY SEATTLE. This postcard, postmarked on May 11, 1908, was sent to Mary Le Sourd in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Author’s collection.)
GERALD’S CAFÉ. Gerald’s Café was located inside the Colman Building at 824 First Avenue, as this c. 1909 postcard shows. (Author’s collection.)
THE SPIER CAFÉTERIA. This postcard, postmarked in 1910, is of the Spier Caféteria at 817 Second Avenue, where the Norton Building now stands. (Courtesy of Janey Elliott.)
EHLE’S CAFÉ. Ehle’s Café, located at the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street, was open all night. This c. 1911 photograph, with a banner promoting Dr. E. J. Brown as the Socialist candidate for mayor, shows early Seattle. (Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives, No. 66237.)
VENETIAN ROOM AT THE RATHSKELLER. A double postcard shows the Venetian Room located at the Rathskeller on Second Avenue in Seattle. The back of this postcard showed what was happening at Prior’s Orchestra the week of July 15, 1912. (Courtesy of John Cooper.)
GOOD EATS CAFÉTERIA. Pictured above is a postcard of the interior of the Good Eats Caféteria, which was located at the corner of Second Avenue and Seneca Street. A. M. Cadien was the proprietor. In 1914, there was also a Good Eats Caféteria located at First Avenue and Cherry Street. (Courtesy of Janey Elliott.)
THE YESLER CHOP HOUSE. This photograph was taken on June 13, 1916, by the Seattle engineering department of Studer and Kaufman’s restaurant, the Yesler Chop House. Signs in the photograph include: “Our coffee is Good,” “Our Motto, We Are Here To Please,” “Short Orders At Any Time,” and “Special Dinners From 11:00 Until Out.” (Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives, No. 1051.)
RESTAURANT AT DENNY CREEK CAMP. This 1920s photograph of the gas station and restaurant at Denny Creek Camp at Snoqualmie Pass was made for the Juleen postcard series. (Courtesy of the Everett Public Library, No. J612.)
CHAUNCEY WRIGHT RESTAURANT. This photograph was taken from Third Avenue looking north from Jefferson Street on November 3, 1928. It shows the Chauncey Wright Restaurant on the left side of the street. On the menu were many items promised as “always ready,” and the fact that the restaurant had its own cold-storage plant insured that the meats were kept at the proper temperature. (Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives, No. 3030.)
BESSIE B. WAFFLE SHOPPE. The Bessie B. Waffle Shoppe and Lunch Room was located on Firlands Way in Shoreline from 1928 to 1932. Shown here from left to right are Bessie B. Haines, Laura Watts, and Sam Christensen. Christensen owned the Richmond Highlands dairy, and his delivery wagon is shown in the photograph. (Courtesy of the Shoreline Historical Museum, No. 279.)
BESSIE B. WAFFLE SHOPPE INTERIOR. This 1930 photograph shows an inside view of the Bessie B. Waffle Shoppe. At the table are Herb and Ruth Smith, Mrs. Fisher, Clara Granston, and Esther Fisher. At the back are Roy Haines, George Kerkov, Fred Hite, two unidentified, Alice Willets (waitress), Jack Barkley, unidentified, Bessie B. Haines, her son Herb Haines, Mrs. Barkley and her daughter Laura Watts. (Courtesy of the Shoreline Historical Museum, No. 262.)
BESSIE B. WAFFLE SHOPPE MENU. The Bessie B. Waffle Shoppe and Lunch Room menu from 1933 is shown here. The menu was created without some prices. The shop owners later moved the business to Aurora Avenue North and North 184th Street. (Courtesy of the Shoreline Historical Museum, No. 271.)
