Bring back the Kingdome.

It's a fucking chain restaurant, people. Get a grip.

Gerry Kingen must die

I worked there in the late 80's... some good memories, some bad... a little misty-eyed here. Went there on Thursday and it was packed - waited an hour at 5:30... it was worth it.
Even though it is a chain - the original will be remembered.

This is almost as sad as the day they shut Clinkerdagger, Bickerstaff, & Pett's, or T.G.I. Friday's, Fuddrucker's, and Bennigan's.

Man, I went to a Red Robin once. Deeply lame. I don't care if they all close.

back in the 60s it was the closest place UW students could drink because of laws restricting alcohol near the university. . . so says my mom. she has some fond memories.

Huh. I didn't realize that one was the original. It certainly has the best view of them all, that's for sure. But that bar isn't set very high, since nearly every other one I've encountered is in a strip mall or in a mall parking lot.

The guy that started the Red Robin chain (and owns Saltys) is a racist right wing nutjob, seriously. Fuck red robin.

@6 - you're half-right. no one gives much of a fuck about red robin the corporation, which is largely indistinguishable from the chains you mention. but that particular restaurant in that particular location with the picture of a stoned robin in the entry hall (note the bloodshot eyes, the place started out as a biker bar) will be missed.

as a dad who isn't a much of a cook, red robin was a great, affordable backup option on nights when mom was out and i couldn't get my shit together. the views of lake union and uw are wonderful. and the parking lot seems like it was designed by M.C. Escher (as someone commented earlier).

bethany - any word on who owns the building and who the next tenant might be?

My girlfriend moved to the UK today so she could work in socialized health care. The health care bill passed today. And fuck Red Robin. #firstworldproblems

@10: For what it's worth, Gerald Kingen, the owner of Salty's, sold his Red Robin ownership rights in 2004.

@11: Had the old-school stoned Red Robin pointed out to me by an old-timer last night—bloodshot eyes and very clearly holding a joint (the robin, not the old-timer). Beautiful. No news on what'll be there next, though.

THANK GOD