Seattle’s Tom Douglas to temporarily close 12 of 13 restaurants

Brave Horse Tavern: Its a South Lake Union Tom Douglas tavern, which means your pub grub is going gourmet -- hot pepper chicken wing style. Alongside dozens of craft brews, pal around post-work with plenty of shuffleboard shenanigans. — **Brave Horse Tavern**: Its a South Lake Union Tom Douglas tavern, which means your pub grub is going gourmet -- hot pepper chicken wing style. Alongside dozens of craft brews, pal around post-work with plenty of shuffleboard shenanigans.
Todd Rotkis

Palace Kitchen, BelltownAlongside upscale New American cooking and cocktails via chef Tom Douglas, Palace dishes out a bubbling goat cheese lavender fondue under busy bohemian digs. Paired with wood-grilled hunks of bread, citrusy gala apples, and sliced d'anjou pears, we wouldn't suggest a visit without splitting this humble haven of fondue over a pistachio-infused old fashioned or a rosemary lavender lemon drop on your special night out. — **Palace Kitchen, Belltown**
Alongside upscale New American cooking and cocktails via chef Tom Douglas, Palace dishes out a bubbling goat cheese lavender fondue under busy bohemian digs. Paired with wood-grilled hunks of bread, citrusy gala apples, and sliced d'anjou pears, we wouldn't suggest a visit without splitting this humble haven of fondue over a pistachio-infused old fashioned or a rosemary lavender lemon drop on your special night out.
Jessica S/Yelp

Cantina LenaTom Douglas' Belltown eatery doling out Mexican fare is here for all the nacho fixings. Pull tortilla chips from gargantuan plates of cantina nachos like a game of Jenga, drenched in toppings like crispy pork carnitas, green chiles with guac, tapatio sour cream, and pickled onion. Or for some vegan grub, nab their nachos coated with cashew-squash cheese, house-made tofu chorizo, escabeche, and cashew sour cream. — **Cantina Lena**
Tom Douglas' Belltown eatery doling out Mexican fare is here for all the nacho fixings. Pull tortilla chips from gargantuan plates of cantina nachos like a game of Jenga, drenched in toppings like crispy pork carnitas, green chiles with guac, tapatio sour cream, and pickled onion. Or for some vegan grub, nab their nachos coated with cashew-squash cheese, house-made tofu chorizo, escabeche, and cashew sour cream.
Dayana M/Yelp

As sales decline across Seattle restaurants and storefronts alongside the spread of COVID-19, Tom Douglas will join the lengthy list of owners and operators making adjustments.

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In Douglas’ case, that means temporarily closing a majority of his restaurants, including that of the iconic Dahlia Lounge and renowned pizzeria Serious Pie.

While 12 of the 13 eateries will close their doors for approximately 8-12 weeks, sole survivor Dahlia Bakery remains open.

That means you can still nab your whole coconut crème pies to nosh on as you work from home next week.

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“The pain that Covid-19 is causing is challenging and goes beyond our own city. We mourn for the families who have lost loved ones, while hoping for a speedy recovery for those still ill,” Douglas said in a recent statement on Facebook. “Rest assured, we are practicing all of the recommended precautions from the CDC and King County Health department. While we have always taken these protocols seriously, we are increasing our safety measures at each of our restaurants.”

As lunchtime and dinner diners decline in the wake of at-home work alongside major businesses like Amazon, sales have reportedly declined up to 90% at the properties, leading to the shut-down effective following dinner services on Sunday.

According to the Seattle Times, employees at Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen (which employs nearly 800 people) were told they would be laid off, then directed to file for unemployment. Douglas told the Times he couldn’t afford to pay out severance, but claimed he would re-hire the workers when he reopens the restaurants, although reopening dates are still unknown.

The company plans to reassess following the above time period.

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“It's been a tough pill to swallow watching Seattle - and the surrounding area - go through the trauma of COVID-19 and its impact on our community. I really love this town,” Douglas stated on Facebook. “We are a strong, resilient city, but this crisis is going to take every one of us to stay vigilant for our neighbors and care for the underserved. During my 40-year restaurant career in Seattle, I have witnessed enormous humanity, philanthropy and just plain generosity day-in and day-out, especially for those most in need. This is no time to let up. From all of us here in this amazing city, we hope to see you soon.”

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