Historic Seattle watering hole Lockspot Cafe is up for sale

Lockspot Café, one of the oldest restaurants in Seattle, is looking for a new owner. Known for its fish and chips and for appearing on the show Deadliest Catch, the 90 year-old establishment is for sale.

Pam Hanson was a bartender at Lockspot Café in 1996 until she became the owner in 2012.

When she started, Ballard was different back then and the place was kind of rough and tumble.

“We had a lot more, we refer to them as the crusty old fishermen that would use whatever language they felt, spew across the room,” Hanson recalled. “And I just said, ‘you know, here’s the deal. You can use whatever language you want but just to the person next to you can hear. Not everybody.'”

Hanson says she wanted to create a place where a single woman would feel comfortable and not feel like prey.

Over the years, Lockspot Café has been transformed into a family friendly place. Hanson says that it’s one of her proudest accomplishments. But now it’s time to shift the focus to her husband and his health issues.

“I love that man and he deserves me.”

Hanson says they’ve been getting offers and expects to pick a new owner in a couple of weeks.