After 40 years, Seattle's Bill's Off Broadway to close for good

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After 40 years in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, yet another longtime Seattle restaurant is permanently shuttering as a result of financial shockwaves sent through the Emerald City in the midst of the novel coronavirus and stay-home orders.

Bill’s Off Broadway — an iconic haven for all manner of slinging greasy pies and catching a Hawks game — announced it is closing permanently as of June 24.

“2019 was Bill's best year yet and we have you all to thank for going out on a high note,” the bar released in a Facebook statement. “We are proud of what we created together and know that many of you found a safe place full of love and understanding within our doors. The friendships we made at Bill's will last a lifetime.”

The popular watering hole had remained closed since March as a result of measures taken around Seattle to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

But, things seemed a little suspicious when Bill’s didn’t reopen even when restaurants were allowed to do so at 50% capacity.

Toward the end of April, Bill’s kickstarted a short-lived GoFundMe campaign to raise funds, though the campaign has since been deactivated.

Bill’s ceased all carryout options in March, and as of Wednesday, released on Facebook that it was officially closing “due to situations outside of our control.”

For Capitol Hill dwellers and longtime Seattle residents, it is a noteworthy and emotional closure. For decades, Bill’s has served up boozy brunches and hosted diehard Seahawks followers.

But as the coronavirus pandemic shut down dine-in services and just about every sporting event in the world for months, a place like Bill’s, depending on weekend crowds, just couldn't come out afloat.

“And with the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) taking over many of the blocks near Bill’s, it probably wasn’t an ideal time for the dive bar to make a comeback,” said Eater Seattle.

Bill’s joins a multiplicity of Seattle’s fallen foodie havens, including that of Japanese hot spot Adana, beloved Italian lunch hub Il Corvo, half of Seattle’s Biscuit Bitch locations, 60-year-old Bavarian Meats, longtime Specialty’s Cafe and Bakery and many others.

And as uncertainty over the coming months in wake of the novel coronavirus continues, it doesn’t seem Bill’s will nab the final spot on the list of restaurants Seattle may never see again.

“We have loved being a piece of this vibrant community and are devastated to not be a part of it going forward,” the Facebook statement read. “We appreciate all the support you have given Bill’s over the years. Thank you for being part of our family.”

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