After five months of procedural delay, Belltown’s Five Point Cafe was recently issued a city permit to provide fenced off, outdoor seating in Tilikum Place—the small, paved park off Denny Way and Cedar Street with a large fountain featuring Chief Sealth. The patio, which seats up to 32 people, is now officially open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. And if all goes well, bar owner Dave Meinert has plans to expand its operational hours in the coming months.
- Drink among nature.
“Right now, we’re one of the earliest patios to close in the city,” says Meinert, adding that if the patio doesn’t elicit noise complaints, “[city officials] will hopefully extend our hours sometime soon.”
Nearby neighbors—who cited fears of increased bar noise when protesting the restaurant’s permit back in January—now have approximately 250-fewer-square-feet of park space in which they can watch homeless people splash about the Chief Sealth fountain. That is, unless they care to do it seated, with a drink in hand.
Perfect. Having walked by there hundreds of times—seeing it now for the first time with outdoor seating makes it’s hard to imagine it without it.
@1, that is 100% true. It uses those trees just beautifully. May the starlings never flock there.
Isn’t it cute – a quarter-assed puritanical version of a sidewalk cafe. Americans fail so concistently when it comes to celebration. Happy flag day by the way.
Our Seattle summer weather will make this pay off handsomely.
@3 – and it only took 15 months, 20 or so meetings, multiple city departments, including ‘urban forestry’ (who knew?), several city council members, the mayor and his staff, to make it happen. And it has to close at 10pm, so unamplified human voices do not to disturb neighbors who live in one of the 10 least safest neighborhoods in America, next to two of downtown’s busiest streets, two bus routes, a fire department and 2 heli-pads. Gotta love Seattle government!
@5 I don’t think “10 least safest neighborhoods” is quite what you mean. I’m glad you got your permit, and wish you a speedy recovery from your process fatigue.
The only thing wrong with this is that it’s not ten times bigger. Seriously: Paris, France. Do it. “Park”, my big fat ass.
This is what the neighbors were losing their shit over? This?
Seriously, I recognize that Dave Meinert is a capitalist who isn’t afraid to exploit catch phrases like “walkable urban villages” as a means to an end but this is what they were griefing him over?
Fucking NUMBYs. I love it and I can’t wait to ge tback to Seattle so I can sit there and drink beer and eat grease flavored fried grease.
Congrats, Dave! Next time I’m in your fair city, I will be sure to stop by.
Are the nearly-daily plugs for Dave Meinert’s businesses paid by the post, or are they just an incentive for being a top advertiser?
@10, you stop that – the Stranger won the ticket agency for Meinert’s Capitol Hill Block Party from Tickets West fair and square, you know that.
RAKU -ironically, I am not even in the top 100 advertisers in The Stranger. I just own some fucking awesome businesses, and the Stranger has fine taste.
And @8 – I actually do believe in walkable urban design, even when it’s not on a street I own a street level business on. It’s good for people, the environment, and there are some great studies showing it even improves participation in democracy.
@12, OK, now you’ve gone too far. You’re encouraging your drunk customers to VOTE?
Gratz, Dave!
Oh, Dave. I’m sure you think you really believe the things you say about yourself.
Anyway, I dig the patio. Congrats. Not nearly worthy of the dust up the neighbors have made.
#13: He has a constant “get out the vote” effort. He’s been fighting the high-earners income tax initiative, promoting fining panhandlers, telling people who are against giving Seattle Center to Chihuly to “grow the hell up”, pushing slot machines in bars, fighting against giving restaurant workers sick time… all positions which — shockingly — would make him more wealthy.
For a city without any real Republicans, Dave Meinert is our Herman Cain. Don’t give his Godfather’s Pizzas any more free ads.
The 5 point never looked finer.
I’m tempted to go there for an adult beverage and some tater tots right this second.
@16:
Considering I get to milk him for 1/2 Price food & drink every time I buy one of his StrangerMart coupons, I’ll cede him the full-price credit on his SLOG ads.
I figure I have to be getting the better end of the bargain, because how much can a SLOG ad cost really, when you take into account the sort of the people who hang out here?
Raku – just for the record – I voted for 1098 even with the problem I pointed out it had and support a high earners income tax (at both a state and federal level), support mandatory sick days for employees (watch for some news on that), did support Burgess’s imperfect attempt to address aggressive panhandling (which btw would make me no money – the fines didn’t actually go to me), did think Cienna’s lengthy articles vilifying a local artist were wrong headed, and do support slot machines in bars along with 24 hour liquor, legalized pot, privatized liquor distribution, alcohol being allowed in strip clubs, etc. To relate any of those positions to Herman Cain is craziness. You know nothing about my political philosophies if you believe that. It’s hilarious to me that I get criticized by lefties who don’t know me for being too right, and righties who do and don’t know me for being an extreme lefty.
And thanks #8. I think.
@19, admit it, you make BURGERS out of homeless people. And you have a giant tattoo of Santorum that covers every square inch of your body because you love him so much. That’s how Republican you are. Can’t fool @16, he’s onto you.
The 5 Point and sunshine seem like an odd mix.
pigeons.