Morgan Junction’s pizza-and-more restaurant Peel & Press will close at the end of October, 10 years after it opened, proprietor Dan Austin announced late today. But the space at 6503 California won’t be empty for long, and Austin isn’t leaving the hospitality business. He will remain sole owner of the Flight Path bar in Boulevard Park and part owner of The Bridge in West Seattle and The Point in Burien. But closing Peel & Press, Austin says, will give him more time with his family – in his announcement, he notes, “I opened this place with a 5-month-old daughter and a wife already pregnant with another baby on the way … I have missed out on a lot of time with my wife and kids, and it is time to change that.” He adds, “I am proud of the restaurant’s ability to support the community. We have been a gathering spot for celebrations. We have been a spot for grieving. We have been a place that focused on a core principle. ‘We have no right to make money from a community that we don’t give back to.’ We focused on supporting the West Seattle Food Bank, local schools and many other local organizations. We rallied a group of other owners to help produce over 4,000 free meals for first responder and hospitality employees who were laid off at the start of the pandemic.”
As for what’s next in the Peel & Press space, Austin says, “I can’t tell you yet. I have worked to get an amazing owner in here and to bring something into West Seattle that I personally think we have needed more of for far too long. I will let them make the announcement, but I personally couldn’t be more excited!” He describes it as “a business that I think West Seattle will be really excited to add to its food scene.”
In an email conversation after his announcement, he told us a few more things. For one, he wants to be very clear that unlike some closures, this has nothing to do with lease matters – “I have an amazing landlord … a very fair lease with a great local building owner!” And he says some Peel & Press favorites will live on at his other establishments: “Some of my classic dishes will be run as specials at my other locations. Also, the West 5 Mac and Cheese will be available at The Bridge along with some of our specialty cocktails that people love,” starting shortly after Peel & Press’s last day on Sunday, October 27.
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