After 34 years, one of Seattle’s oldest vegetarian restaurants closes permanently

Serving Seattle since 1986, all manner of Fremont’s beloved veggie goods like that of the vegan thai peanut stir fry and vegan BBQ beyond burger are coming to a wistful goodbye as Silence Heart Nest announced its permanent closure last week.

One of Seattle’s oldest vegetarian restaurants, Silence Heart Nest has doled out 34 years of veggie goods to the Emerald City. Now, the former restaurant space is up for sale, though no reason was directly given for the closure.

Nonetheless, it joins a lengthy list of restaurants closing their doors for good in wake of the novel coronavirus, limited dining, and now, an abundance of wildfire smoke.

While Silence Heart Nest originally settled in the University District circa 1986, it later moved to Fremont’s neck of the woods in 2005.

Part of a global chain owned by Sri Chinmoy students, the restaurant was beloved by many for its veggie-based breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner goods.

“However, even before the pandemic, this past year proved to be a challenge,” Eater Seattle reported. “Last August, the restaurant bid goodbye to its customers, announcing it would be closing for good. Then, after a public outpouring of support, the owner’s son took over and reopened the restaurant at the end of September. Even when restaurants had closed for dine-in services earlier this spring, it continued to stay open with a limited selection of menu items for takeout and delivery.”

Eater suggested potential survival for the longtime vegetarian restaurant, seeing as Capitol Hill’s beloved Americana announced closure this summer, only to open weeks later under a new owner.

Nonetheless, Seattle restaurants continue to battle restrictions in the midst of the novel coronavirus, especially given wildfires have choked up a majority of outdoor dining. Going into the rainy seasons, Seattle restaurants could use every day of business they can get these days.

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