(Image: Freddy Junior’s)
The histories of current era Pike/Pine will surely have entries for cheap but satisfying taco provider Rancho Bravo. But we also might want to remember restaurant owner Freddy Rivas for the Capitol Hill projects he decided to pull the plug on.
The Freddy Junior’s Broadway burger joint is dead. Rivas tells CHS he had to say goodbye.
“We closed Freddy Junior’s for a variety of reasons,” Rivas said. “One of the key reasons was because I just didn’t have the time necessary to dedicate to overseeing the business. Staffing has also been a huge issue because the labor market has been really tight.”
While known for the enduring fast food love at Rancho Bravo, the Freddy’s closure follows another Rivas Pike/Pine exit from canceled plans to restart the old Ballet space with Buddha’s Kitchen.
Rivas opened the burger concept in summer of 2013 in the 1500 block of Broadway between Pike and Pine. He bought out a business called Grubwich for the space which had replaced the infamous Pita Pit. The building has been owned by Seattle Central but that is also about to change along with coming redevelopment. Neighboring Neighbours is also for sale for $6.9 million.
Shuttering Freddy’s falls on a much smaller financial scale, of course, but in Rivas’s restaurant world, it’s still a big deal. “We might decide to reopen in the future if I have the time, the place and resources necessary to give it the attention it needs and deserves,” Rivas said. “We really enjoyed making people happy to the extent we could and I personally will miss it because they were some of my favorite burgers ever. And of course, we would love to thank all of those who supported us and enjoyed our burgers.”
In the meantime, it’s not all loss for neighborhood hamburger lovers. The Little Big Burger chain is poised to open its 12th at Pike location soon.
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oh no, not the moobys!
I miss Ballet.
I worked there and got layed off. Reason given: minimum waged jumped too high and we can’t keep everyone.
They also jacked up prices too high so we lost business. Writing was on the wall after that.
Yeah when the prices went up I stopped going there so often, although I felt like the higher prices also came with somewhat better quality to offset it. I figured Freddy’s was trying to compete more with Woody’s than Dick’s at that point. And didn’t the hours get cut back significantly too?
A shame to see it go though. It was by far my favorite hole-in-the-wall garbage burger spot.
Mmmm……supporters of the $15 minimum wage claimed that it would not result in job loss or hours cut, but the reality is that these things have happened……perhaps not on a wide scale, but this is the latest example of the fact that the legislation has had a negative impact for some businesses and people.
I actually run a business on the hill that hires entry-level employees and the increased minimum wage hasn’t hurt us at all. We just raised prices a little (so little our customers didn’t even notice) and that (as well as increased business overall) helped offset the increase.
I’m curious about your business background, Bob. Have you ever hired entry-level employees or run a business that depended on them? It seems a lot of armchair conservative think businesses can only make money by squeezing payroll, but innovative business managers will find ways to enrich their employees and make a profit at the same time.
I get the feeling that people can read the tea leaves the way they want on the minimum wage.
It also depends on the margins of your business. Business that work on small margins may react differently than ones on large margins.
Also, squeezing payroll is very, very common in the food and beverage industry (if you’ve ever worked in it).
Yes, we are very familiar with the industry. Like I said before, poorly-run businesses will struggle while well-run businesses with products and services that people want will adjust and survive the minimum wage increase.
Cheers to your business acumen, CK. Maybe some of these businesses should be hiring you as a consultant.
Bob’s business background isn’t really the issue here, because what he said is indisputable– whether it’s good or bad, or whose “fault” it is, isn’t the point, it’s a fact: *SOME* people have cut back eating out as prices have gone up– and it doesn’t even matter whether they had professed support of the $15 minimum wage or not. They say they’ve done it anyway. Look at case-in-point above by Fluffy: “when the prices went up I stopped going there so often, although I felt like the higher prices also came with somewhat better quality”. You toss out “armchair conservative” in the same breath, seems you’re presuming Bob didn’t support the increase. That doesn’t matter either. Clearly some people have stopped eating out as much– even if they support the $15 min. That doesn’t mean they can afford to maintain their same consumptions, whether they do or not.
Indisputable? How do you know $15 minimum wage is the ONLY cause (or even one at all) on overall job loss and hours cut?
Restaurant industry is always competitive.
Show me where I said it was the ONLY reason? As to whether it is “a” reason– go back and read Fluffy’s comments again. Fluffy clearly, unequivocally stated it is at least *a* reason, or why mention it? What kind of specious reasoning would you have to employ to conclude that EVERY other reason is why someone would’ve cut back, *except* the cost? Or that Fluffy’s reasoning applies only to him/her, but nobody else?
You said Bob’s comment is indisputable. He blamed $15 minimum wage for job loss or hours cut. He didn’t mention any other possible causes.
I’d say taste of food, type of cuisine, and location play big roles in a failed restaurant.
It wasn’t me who cast blame on the $15 wage…it was the owner of the restaurant…..just read the article.
For the record, I support the $15 wage……I was just pointing out that there IS a downside to it.
Correction: read Marco R’s (former employee of the restaurant) comment above.
Yes, I read his comment. But have you re-read what you yourself wrote? How is this not blaming the higher minimum wage?
“Mmmm……supporters of the $15 minimum wage claimed that it would not result in job loss or hours cut, but the reality is that these things have happened……perhaps not on a wide scale, but this is the latest example of the fact that the legislation has had a negative impact for some businesses and people.”
The people who don’t like minimum wage law are the same ones who complain when their businesses are unprotected and wrecked by cheaper foreign competition or their jobs are replaced by foreign workers.
It is easy to preach smaller government and lower cost for everything until you get screwed.
lol yes let’s blame paying people a livable wage and not greedy folks who want to pocket most of that. i’m amazed that people can’t see these fake ass reasons given are almost always given BY the well to do so as to put the blame on the poor for wanting a livable wage? idk what the real reasons were for closing this spot but if it you can’t afford to respect ur employees by paying them proper then whatever