After 13 years on East Pike Street, owner James Snyder says the bar is closing under the weight of rising labor costs and high rent.
SEATTLE — The final weekend of business at Seattle’s longtime Capitol Hill bar Sam’s Tavern drew packed crowds, emotional goodbyes and uncertainty about what comes next for one of the neighborhood’s most recognizable nightlife spots.
After 13 years on East Pike Street, owner James Snyder says the bar is closing under the weight of rising labor costs, high rent and lasting changes in Seattle’s nightlife economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Post COVID, it’s been the most challenging exercise of my life to try to keep this place open,” Snyder said. “So, I’m really proud of us making it this far. We probably should have closed a year ago, maybe longer.”
Saturday night, patrons packed into the dimly lit tavern for one final weekend of drinks, burgers and memories at a bar many described as more than just a place to eat or drink.
“It’s deeper than just a bar,” said customer Sizzle Myers. “It is a central hub Capitol Hill.”
The Capitol Hill location was created as a tribute to Seattle’s original Sam’s Tavern, a 1940s-era burger tavern that eventually evolved into the first Red Robin Gourmet Burgers restaurant.
The original location, known as Sam’s Red Robin, was purchased and rebranded by Gerry Kingen in 1969 near Seattle’s University Bridge, eventually growing into the national restaurant chain known today.
Snyder’s Capitol Hill bar became known for its nostalgic roadhouse atmosphere, burgers and oversized Bloody Marys stacked with bacon and garnishes. Over the years, it also became a gathering place in Seattle’s Pike/Pine nightlife district, attracting a mix of regulars, sports fans and late-night crowds.
But Snyder said operating a restaurant and bar in Seattle has become increasingly difficult.
According to the Washington Hospitality Association, Seattle restaurant operators often work with profit margins below the national average while facing some of the country’s highest labor and operating costs.
Snyder said labor expenses were the biggest challenge.
“I’m all for paying employees more,” Snyder said. “I believe that we should pay employees more, but I also think that there should be a tip credit. You’re really making it challenging for operators to want to come back in and do anything in Seattle because there’s not a lot of upside, and there’s a lot more risk now with trying to do something.”
Seattle’s minimum wage laws do not allow a lower tipped wage system commonly used in other states, meaning restaurant owners must pay the full minimum wage regardless of gratuities.
Snyder said nightlife habits also changed dramatically after the pandemic, leaving many bars struggling to regain consistent late-night crowds.
“Anytime you sell or close a bar, there’s going to be a transitional period,” Snyder said. “So it’s delicate. It’s challenging to make everybody happy, but my goal this entire time has been to try to keep the bar open.”
For employees and longtime patrons, the closure felt deeply personal.
Security worker Lady P said one bartender had spent more than a decade working on the corner.
“One of my closest friends, Abby, she has been bartending here for 13 years,” Lady P said. “So this is kind of like a culture shock to us right now because she’s been on this corner for 13 years. And so it’s like, what are we going to do? Like, where are we going to go?”
Adding, “This is the end of the era. This is it.”
Some customers traveled specifically to attend the final weekend.
“I flew back a day early because I wanted to be here for the last day,” patron Demetrius Rashon said. “I would not miss that, and it’s not because of the space — it’s because of the people.”
Despite the closure, Snyder said he is optimistic about the future of the brand.
He confirmed he sold the business and plans to step away from operations but said he also sold the rights to the Sam’s Tavern Capitol Hill name. Snyder said he hopes the new ownership group eventually reopens a version of the bar in the same location.
For now, though, regulars are preparing to say goodbye to a bar many considered part of Capitol Hill’s identity.
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