Shutdown of Capitol Hill’s original Skillet Diner part of chain’s downsizing

(Image: Skillet)

Capitol Hill’s Skillet Diner is permanently closed after 14 years of service on E Union.

The food truck-born concept that grew into a chain of high-end diners announced the immediate closure of its Capitol Hill location along with its diner in South Lake Union. Its Post Alley location will close in December. The company says it will continue to operate its counter inside the Seattle Center Armory and locations inside Sea-Tac Airport.

SKillet ownership blamed costs for the shutdowns saying it was “time to shrink the Skillet footprint.”

“Like many other businesses, we have been unable to survive the balance of what we can charge for a meal with the increasing costs of what it takes to produce a meal,” the announcement posted Wednesday reads.

Henderson during the Capitol Hill diner’s construction (Image: CHS)

After its growth as a mobile food truck, founder Josh Henderson opened the original Skillet in the newly constructed Chloe building at 14th and Union in 2011 adding a bonafide diner setup to Capitol Hill’s food and drink lineup. When it first opened, the plan was for late night hours with midnight closings and last call service up to 2 AM on the weekends. Times have changed.

Lost Lake followed with its booths and diner swivel seats in the heart of Pike/Pine in 2013.

The latest in Capitol Hill new-era diner projects, meanwhile, was the opening of the new Glo’s above Capitol Hill Station in 2023.

The original Skillet’s 14th and Union intersection has been busy with construction. Across the street, the Tanager Apartments project broke ground in the summer of 2024 and is one of the few major multifamily housing development currently under construction in the area. The seven-story, 138-unit mixed-use development is being built to jigsaw into the block between Chop Suey and queer bars Madison Pub and Diesel at 14th and Madison. Those businesses remain open through the ruckus and growth.

A search of business records and permits didn’t reveal any plans for the Capitol Hill Skillet space. Its neighboring restaurant space formerly home to Marjorie before its move to the Central District remains busy with Asian grill venture 8 Ping Yang.

The Skillet company is now owned by investor Greg Petrillo who helped grow the chain to four locations plus the airport presence. In 2023, the chain settled a  $324,000 wage theft case over violations of paid sick leave laws after the city said Skillet fired employees over sick time and in retaliation for raising issues over the restaurant chain’s policies..

Petrillo and Skillet ended the closure announcement with a callout for its employees. “To our friends in the hospitality business, we have a talented and dedicated team of people who will be looking for jobs,” it said. “These are folks who are skilled, hardworking, loyal, and pleasant as can be.”

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