Seattle's historic Lockspot Cafe is up for sale, seeking new owners

After serving up crispy platters of fish and chips to fishermen and city dwellers alike through world wars, natural disasters and now a global pandemic, one of Seattle's oldest restaurants is up for sale.

Ballard's Lockspot Cafe has been open in the same location on NW 54th Street near the Ballard Locks for over 90 years, staying true to its no-frills roots and representing the character of "old" Ballard in the rapidly growing neighborhood. 

"When you walk into the Lockspot Cafe, it's like coming home. This is a generational place," Owner Pam Hanson told the Seattle P-I in 2019. Hanson started working at the cafe as a bartender in 1996 and bought the restaurant in 2012. Hanson noted that some of the staff have been working there for close to two decades.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant moved to takeout options and eventually pivoted to outdoor dining. Despite the challenges presented by stay-at-home orders and indoor dining restrictions, the restaurant managed to pull through.

But now, Hanson is looking to sell the restaurant so a new owner can ring in the next generation of the nearly century-old institution.

"After 25 years here, my husband has had some health issues, and we've decided it's time for him to come in first instead of the restaurant,” Hanson said in a YouTube video announcing the sale on Saturday. "We've been in good partnership [with the owner of the building] and I don't foresee that this little part of Ballard is going to go away."

Along with being one of the longest-standing restaurants in Seattle's competitive food scene, Lockspot does also have another claim to fame: parts of the TV show "Deadliest Catch" were filmed there with the captains. Hanson also noted that Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and his wife are also patrons.

Other historic bars and restaurants have also gone through changes in ownership amid the pandemic: the 133-year-old Jules Mae Saloon in Georgetown temporarily shuttered in July 2020 before a longtime patrons stepped in to keep its legacy alive.