SEATTLE, Wash. — A historic Pike Place Market restaurant will remain open after all.
Earlier this month, The Virginia Inn announced it would close because of a lease dispute with the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (PDA).
However, on Monday, the restaurant posted online that it received a ‘last-minute reprieve’ of its eviction notice.
“Thank you all for your overwhelming support, we couldn’t have done it without you,” the post from the restaurant said. “We will resume business as usual.”
The Virginia Inn opened in 1903 – four years before the Market itself.
According to the restaurant’s website, the modern chapter began when Patrice Demombynes and Jim Fotheringham took over in 1981. It quickly became one of the first art bars in Seattle, showcasing a rotating selection of local artists.
The restaurant was even featured in the 1992 ‘grunge era’ film ‘Singles.’
In 2019, Seattle restaurant veterans Karl Sexton and Craig Perez took over.
“We have survived through Prohibition, the Great Depression, the Great Recession, the COVID pandemic, and many other events in between,” the owners wrote online.
Now, the restaurant has survived a near-closure over lease negotiations.
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