Three and a half times bigger and 10,000 times better to work in, the new Glo’s Diner has finally arrived at Capitol Hill Station — only one year behind schedule. It opens for regular business Monday after a weekend serving customers who helped the Capitol Hill classic raise enough cash to build out the new diner with comfy booths and the mid-century style of Denny’s, diners, and roadside motels.
Much can be made of “chef owners” in the Capitol Hill food and drink scene and at Glo’s there are two of them — both Julie Reisman and Steve Frias also proudly work the line. Reisman says the A/C in the new joint is so good that in the kitchen, “It’s almost too cold.”
“We made this a better place to work,” Reisman tells CHS.
CHS reported here way back in August 2021 on the plans for Glo’s to pull up stakes on the much-loved but increasingly challenging E Olive Way original and join the new housing and commercial development above Capitol Hill Station along Broadway. Last year, the neighborhood finally got its H Mart in the form of the company’s M2M grocery. In 2023, Glo’s has arrived.
In between, pandemic delays including eight months waiting for permits from the city, Reisman says, and more have kept the people waiting. They didn’t even have the old Glo’s to tide them over — the original had to close down after a damaging fire last summer.
But along the way, the people also helped out Glo’s.
Reisman at work
A crowdfunding campaign launched last spring raised more than $300,000 to help pay for the new diner’s build-out with a couple big givers earning “BREAKFAST FOR LIFE” passes.
And this month as it reopens in its new home, Glo’s workers have organized in a move Reisman and Frias have supported for the diner to become a unionized restaurant.
Restaurant Workers United, a worker-led union for restaurant, bar, and cafe workers, announced Glo’s ownership voluntarily recognized the unionization effort, “forming the first independent restaurant union in Seattle in several decades.”
36 years after founder Gloreen Raineri opened the tiny, long-lived cafe in the middle of E Olive Way’s downhill curve, Glo’s is now open on the edge of the plaza above the busy light rail station in the midst of hundreds of new apartments and a handful of new businesses that are finally active. Developer Gerding Edlen’s efforts to also bring smaller and more local tenants to the project helped with a deal on rent for the much-loved Capitol Hill restaurant, according to Reisman.
Designed by Miranda Saddler with a plan by Citizen Design Collaborative and contractor Metis, the new 2,900-square-foot Glo’s is shiny and bright with views across to Cal Anderson Park and out onto the AIDS Memorial Pathway plaza. Entry is made off the plaza through a pair of massive doors. There are seats at a classic counter, tables or booths to choose from.
“Glo’s Remarkable Benedicts” — all of them — have made the trip as have favorites like the hash, the omelettes, the classic breakfast combos, and the waffle.
The other big change? More coffee — and bloody mary revenue opportunities. The new Glo’s has a liquor license and an expanded espresso program.
Glo’s also hopes to continue holding its place in the community and lending a hand. If you want to help, the Glo’s Community Meal Program — “Buy a hot meal for a person in need” — has also made the move.
You will also have more time to stop through. Starting Monday, Glo’s Diner will be open daily 7 AM to 3 PM with the first hour being espresso only.
You can find Glo’s Diner at 928 E Barbara Bailey Way. Learn more at gloscafe.com.
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