After more than half a century, Pike Place Market's Bavarian Meats to close

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Seattle's food and drink metropolis is tumbling in wake of restaurant and bar closures across King County as a result of the novel coronavirus.

First, longtime Pike Place gem, Sur La Table, surfaced rumors of bankruptcy. Then, downtown's beloved Il Corvo closed its doors, and popular fast casual Southern breakfast chain, Biscuit Bitch, permanently shuttered half of its locations across the Emerald City.

Now, after more than half a century of renowned deli bites, Pike Place's Bavarian Meats will permanently close its Market location as of May 31.

The grab-and-go shop dips all the way back to 1961, when German immigrant Max Hofstatter (known as “Grandpa Max”) opened the storefront to kickstart his sausage-making business.

Just a year later in wake of the World's Fair, and Grandpa Max alongside some darn good Bavarian Meats were beloved by many.

Decade after decade, the Pike Place gem has remained in the family. Through four generations, it has doled out bounties of hearty German goods.

From weiner schnitzel to currywurst, meaty Jäger schnitzel with spaetzle and knodel dumplings amid copious amounts of plump brats, Bavarian Meats has also dipped its toes into the retail world, of which supplies area delis, butcher shops, and a few markets with packaged goods.

But in wake of little foot traffic through the labyrinth that is Pike Place Market come early March due to stay-at-home orders and shuttered dining spaces, the longtime market has suffered an extreme economic impact. And for manager Gabrielle Kessler, it has allegedly become a "lease issue" as well.

Hope is not entirely lost, however.

Rumor has it Kessler is currently hunting down a new outpost, with details to come via social media regarding plans of a reopening elsewhere (perhaps in Georgetown's neck of the woods.)

To nab your fix for the time being, another family-owned sausage business, Oberto’s, is carrying Bavarian Meats to help out. Of course, Bavarian Meats is also currently shipping original and spicy landjaeger. If you'd like some, give them a call at 206-441-0942.

“We want to take this moment to thank each and every one of you that have made this 4-generation family deli a success,” read a recent post on the official Bavarian Meats website. “Our appreciation for you all runs very deep and we will miss this wonderful location.”

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