Seattle's historic Jules Maes Saloon reopens, continuing legacy of 133-year-old bar

Seattle's historic Jules Maes Saloon can now add surviving two pandemics to its long list of accomplishments.

The legendary Georgetown bar officially reopened last week under new ownership, keeping the 133-year-old wateringhole around for the next generation of Seattleites.

In July 2020, owner John LeMaster announced that the bar would be permanently closing due to the economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bar had been shuttered since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, and LeMaster said the landlord raised rent by 27%.

The news of the closure rocked Seattle's hard-hit food scene, which has since seen at least 90 other restaurant closures since the start of the pandemic.

But upon news of the closure, one longtime patron decided to step in and save the bar.

Rache Hemmelgarn is the new owner of Jules Maes and has made several updates to the interior since the closure. Along with cocktail featuring fresh squeezed juice and comfort fare, the restaurant added a screen for gameday and revived its small stage for when live music returns. The saloon is currently open for takeout and delivery.

Hemmelgarn said she wanted to save the bar as it was part of her first date with her husband — they married in September 2020.

Jules Maes dates back to 1888 starting as a grocery and hardware shop known as "The Brick Store" and eventually became a saloon known as the Rainier Bar. Customers consisted of mostly lumberjacks and fishermen as Georgetown was the city's industrial district.

In 1912, it was bought by Belgian immigrant Jules Gustaf Maes, who was known as "the Mayor of Georgetown." The bar closed during prohibition but reopened several doors down on Airport Way South in 1939.

Along with Merchant's Cafe, Central Saloon and J & M Cafe in Pioneer Square, Jules Maes was one of the wateringholes contending for the highly debated title of "oldest bar in Seattle."

The news follows several other hopeful reopenings amid COVID-19: in the same neighborhood, longtime vegan-haven Georgetown Liquor Company recently reopened under new ownership and is serving up an impressive menu of vegan sandwiches and infused cocktails.