Something fishy going on here, me thinks this closure is on porpose. Same old story, when wages go up businesses close (capital moves to where it's most profitable). Hopefully the (former) employees will swim on over to another tide pool and won't flounder around for too long. Just a long drift to the bottom of the lake...

Local, non-big-company restaurants tend to have high turnover and high failure rates, which is why good local neighborhood restaurants become such prized institutions. Capitol Hill was long saturated with great restaurants (e.g. Machiavelli, Coastal Kitchen) and a the survival of a new, expensive place there will initially depend upon trendy patrons -- one of the most UNdependable income streams imaginable. This story spends a lot of words on how much management wants to re-tool this restaurant's image, suggesting the place was having trouble making the transition from new and trendy to local and durable. I wish everyone involved the best of luck.

I never understand these articles about business closing implying there is something nefarious going on. What is more likely? The business is unprofitable and despite efforts to make it work the owners can not or in an effort to screw their employees they cut off their income stream? The notion that everyone who owns a business is a jerk with unlimited money really needs to stop in Seattle. It’s sad these workers lost their jobs but it’s an intended consequence of seattles labor policies.

“there was a significant wage increase on January 1, raising all front-of-house hourly employees of Sea Creatures restaurants from $20.76 to $25 an hour”

That’s an $8,819.20 annual wage, for an annual salary of $52,000 a year.

Not too shabby for wait staff, though the back of house staff should be paid considerably more than front of house. I got to restaurants for the skills of the kitchen staff, not the servers.

@4 Minimum wage became $20.76 in Seattle on January 1st too though. lol.

Thank you for publishing the servers pay rates. It's immediately obvious that I should stop tipping at these fancy restaurants as the staff is paid very well already.

@6: you don't come into the crime-ridden bottom-surgery hellhole of Seattle, who are you kidding. maybe for a Seahawks game, but you GTFO immediately after.

@6

In Seattle my tipping has dropped to 10% and below. More than the few centimes I might add in France, but no way am I tipping 20% to an employee making greater than $20/hour.

When I’m in flyover country, where the staff is paid something like $2.75/hour I tip at least 20% if not 30%, but in Seattle? No way.

@7 - I prefer the Mariners. Also, where in the hell do you think I work if not downtown?

I stopped tipping at any coffee shop last year. More expensive restaurants, if the service is good, you'll get your 20%.

@9 I think most of us assumed you just licked boots for a living.