A North Seattle pancake house could soon be replaced with a strip club, and the building’s new owners won’t even have to change the sign.
After 36 years of running Cyndy’s Pancake House owner Gae Bowman, 73, says she’s ready to retire and has put her building—near the intersection of Aurora and Northgate Way—up for sale.
So far, Bowman says she’s only had one interested buyer: wannabe-strip-club-impresario Bob Davis, who approached Bowman about purchasing the bulding last February. “They’re the only people that have come with any money,” Bowman says.
According to city records, Davis—who successfully challenged the city’s strip club moratorium in 2005—has received an adult entertainment permit to open Cyndy’s Gentleman’s Club at the pancake house location.
Davis says he’s looking to open a “recession-proof” business and believes a strip club is the way to go. “I was doing some research at a club the other day and I asked these girls if business was down,” Davis says. “They said, ‘oh, guys always need us.’”
Davis wants to retain the building’s name because of the history of the site. “It’s been Cyndy’s since 1972,” he says. “Everybody in town knows where Cyndy’s is!” Not only does Davis plan to keep the name, but he also says he wants to continue serving food at the club. “My goal is to be the bachelor’s friend,” he says.
According to the Department of Planning and Development spokesman Bryan Stevens, Cyndy’s is currently zoned to accommodate a strip club. However, Stevens says, the club would still have to go through a process to make sure it’s at least 800 feet from any community centers, schools or public parks.
Davis and Bowman are still hammering out the details of the sale, although Bowman says she hasn’t heard anything about a strip club. “I thought they were going to open a comedy club,” she says.
Davis is hoping to be open for business in spring 2009.
Sad, hopefully my girlfriend and I will still be able to walk across the street from her apartment building to get our chicken fried steak fix, even if it does come with a view of some vag.
I personally feel that they should keep the whole name if that’s the case. “Cyndy’s Pancake House” has so much more double entendre appeal.
I hope they keep the crepes, that’s my neighborhood favorite!
Pancakes and titties? Quite the business model…
I know that place! It’s right near the “World of Beer” store on 103rd. Considering that the major businesses nearby are a discount golf equipment store, a bunch of by-the-hour motels, a payday loan place, and two or three porn shops, I don’t see any problem with a strip club bringing down the neighborhood’s reputation. Did I mention that the #5 bus stop is a major drug market?
On a somewhat related note, what do we have to do to get the law changed so strip clubs can serve alcohol? Because Seattle has hands down the lamest strip clubs in the world.
I think I ate there once. I think they have thos high backed chairs like 13 Coins. It will make lap dances awkward.
Seriously, why can’t it be both? Also, waiter, can you go ahead and leave the whole bottle of vanilla extract? I like it on my, er… morning. Did someone say pulltabs?
C’mon, they’re not even changing the name to SINdy’s? What a missed opportunity.
Rooty, Tooty, Fresh & Fruity.
Yea, drip that Strawberry Syrup…
God damn it, that’s my favorite North End pancake house. I don’t want titties, I want pancakes. Now I’ll have to take Sound Transit all the way down to the Pancake Chef in Tukwila. Another decent thing about Seattle disappears.
They already closed two of my fave North end pancake houses, so I guess another one can’t hurt.
We need more pancake places!
The things they do with syrup and bananas there!
I come here every time I come home to visit my folks and have the Holland pancakes. This is really, really depressing. Maybe he can buy Dick’s next.
Nat says: “Stacked!”
What about the original pancake house on 15th, in the Ballard areaish. They have some insane omelettes. I would say thats a pretty good replacement for those who still need their pancake fix.
Will.
What were the other two? Please tell me one of them isn’t The Original Pancake House in Ballard? They have “Silver Dollar Pancakes” on the menu and I love those.
I’m really charmed that he’s so interested in maintaining some of the building’s history. How surprising and unusual. I’m not a huge fan of their food but I am a BIG fan of their clip art menus and how it always seems like at any moment, a Pulp-Fiction style robbery might take place. I go at least once a month.
can we still go there after church?
One of them got replaced when they did the UW Tower, @17. But SARS has a good point even if that’s really an egg place that does pancakes too.
pancakes make me feel ill. but i can eat the fuck out of french toast. it’s weird.
oh, and we don’t need another titty bar without alcohol. we need portland’s rules.
There’s an I.H.O.P. two blocks down, people. Stop freaking out.
I don’t care if they replace Cyndy’s with a sewage treatment plant, as long as they replace it. What a shithole!!
Where are we going to get our Dutch Baby oven baked pancakes now?
pretentious said:
> can we still go there after church?
Whaddya mean ‘after’…that would constitute church!
mmmm….knees…praying…yes, sister, hit me with the ruler again!
I would like to know how to protest this… as someone who lives nearby in a nice family home and neighborhood- I don’t understand this little vortex of off businesses right on that part of Aurora. If it was truly a “gentleman’s club” and high class I would not mind, but haven’t seen anything like that in Seattle.
I’m not necessarily against it, but I mean… strippers are there for the guys… who’s gonna be there for the ladies? Am I getting screwed?
Steak and Legs! Steak and Legs! My favorite part of visiting portland is brunch at the Acropolis — french toast and naked ladies!!!