This weeken’s grand reopening of a Capitol Hill restaurant by one of the city’s leading food and drink ownership groups is coming amid uncertainty around talks with some of its organized workers.
Jeffry’s — the “refreshed steakhouse experience” from the Rene Erickson-led Sea Creatures restaurant group — is slated for its grand opening Sunday after a nine-month closure and reboot of Erickson’s original concept, Bateau, at 11th and Union.
“Expect familiar French fare, seasonal dishes highlighting local farms, and, last but not least, tableside martinis,” Jeffry’s is promising for the Sunday restart.
It is not clear if those martinis will be served with any agreement with workers from the independent United Creatures of the Sea union.
CHS talked with representatives of the group leading into this week’s restart of Erickson’s Capitol Hill venue.
Member Ford Nickel said the union has been experiencing a sense of “now or never” when it comes to their negotiation strength.
“Until we sign contracts, we’re never going to know whether or not any of those [conversations] are legitimate,” Nickel said.
CHS reported here last month on the surprise update in the effort to re-start the restaurant as Sea Creatures rolled out a complete new brand for the space. Previously, ownership said Bateau had been operating at a loss for the past two years and that efforts for Sea Creatures employees to organize were not a factor in the changes.
The restaurant group has also been buys permanently shuttering other locations and opening a new complex venture with the Lowlander Brewery, Un Po Tipsy Pizzeria, and the My Oh My “European-inspired restaurant” in new development on Occidental Ave near the stadiums.
Jeffry’s is named for Jeffry — Erickson’s gone but still beloved pup
The greatest sticking point has been the group’s unwillingness to budge on compensation requirements, Nickel and representative Jeff Kelley said. One of the most recent proposals significantly reduced the opportunities for hourly staff to access benefits, according to Nickel. In this version of the agreement, employees would need to work an average of 30 hours per week to be eligible for benefits, including health insurance and 401(k) contributions.
While back of house employees like cooks and dishwashers can reach those hours with kitchen preparation and cleaning, front of house staff would face a tougher environment. There were concernsJeffry’s would only be open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 to 9 PM — capping things at 20 hours of guest service — but the restaurant is opening with what it says are planned daily 5 to 9 PM hours.
Nickel and Kelley have been skeptical of the invitations to “come back to work” messages that have been part of the Jeffry’s re-opening messages.
“Things that make sense about restaurant operations, we’ve been incredibly agreeable,” Kelley said. “Whatever gets people to work faster, whatever is best for people. That’s all we’re trying to do.”
In the meantime, the reopening will put this corner on the backside of Pike/Pine back into motion with a streamlined version of Erickson’s original 4,500-square-foot French steakhouse and bar concept. When it debuted in November 2015, the restaurant, bar, and cafe was one of the first in a generation of major Capitol Hill food and drink investments made as restaurateurs took on multi-concept challenges to fill massive spaces created in the Pike/Pine area’s wave of preservation incentive-boosted redevelopment of auto row-era buildings.
The reopening will bring a new set of leaders for the Capitol Hill venue. Jeffry’s opening Chef de Cuisine will be Grant Montague, formerly of Bateau, Lioness, and The Willows Inn. Leading the front of house will be General Manager Breck Gault, formerly of Willmott’s Ghost, Deep Dive, The Butcher’s Table, and The Walrus and the Carpenter.
Erickson says Jeffry’s stripped down approach will be an opportunity to reconnect with some of the creations of her past including “the rustic French flavors and preparations I fell in love with at Boat Street Café” in a space overhauled to feel “casual, warm, and lighthearted, blending polish with approachability.”
Jeremy Price, the managing partner of the Sea Creatures group, tells CHS Jeffry’s is opening — or re-opening — amid positive talks with the workers it organizes.
“Our current relationship with the union’s positive and productive,” Price said. “We meet regularly, and I believe we are very close to reaching collective bargaining agreements. While we work toward this goal, Jeffry’s remains a unionized workplace.”
Jeffry’s opens this weekend at 1040 E Union. Watch jeffrysseattle.com for updates.
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