Speaking of landmarks, it appears Broadway’s affordable food and drink venue Jai Thai is permanently closed.

CHS reported here on the landmarks process underway for the 1903-built building the shuttered Thai joint has called home since the 2000s as a developer prepares the southwest corner of Broadway and Thomas for a new affordable apartment building.

Jai Thai has been shuttered for weeks but attempts to contact ownership to find out more about the status of the longtime Broadway restaurant have not been successful. The company is listed as closed by the state’s department of revenue and the liquor license for the address is reported as “on hold.” The restaurant’s phone number has also been disconnected.

Other Jai Thais exist in Seattle but they have different owners than the Broadway location — though the University District Jai Thai appears to share some of the Capitol Hill ownership DNA.

According to research undertaken as part of the landmarks review of the 119-year-old building, the retail space that once hosted a Rexall drugstore at the Broadway corner was first converted into a restaurant in 1983 as Gracie’s “serving barbecue, ribs, and steak.”

Jai Thai debuted in 2005 after a string of Thai joints followed the closure of Gracie’s. Founder Duangjit Alberts remained part of the operation through the years and became part of a new ownership structure in 2019. The venue’s relatively affordable food and full bar plus growth as a surprising venue for standup comedy helped Jai Thai keep its place in the Broadway streetscape. Cheap pad thai from its walk-up window also helped.

But some of the energy left Jai Thai along the way. Jai Thai’s bar manager left to start Bites of Bangkok on 15th Ave E. Some of the comedy also followed.

And the pandemic era seemed to hit the restaurant hard. Jai Thai struggled to maintain dependable offerings and business hours. A final indignity came in July when King County health shut down the restaurant for sewage back-up problems and a pest infestation. “Rats!” a wiseguy cracked on the notice a weekly stand-up comedy open mic night would be canceled.

Sometime in July, the final Jai Thai Capitol Hill review was posted to Yelp.

“Still best deal in town for walk up window !!! Pad Thai for $6!!!! Can’t beat it anywhere!!!,” it read.

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