‘Our governor was able to destroy so many businesses’: Curley celebrates Beth’s Cafe coming back to life

Beth’s Cafe is open 24 hours a day again. For John Curley, host of “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio, the comeback is as much an indictment as a celebration.

Seattle’s beloved greasy spoon survived a dumpster fire, a cancer diagnosis and an egg shortage, but it was the pandemic shutdowns that nearly finished the job.

“Our governor, following the science, was able to destroy so many businesses in Seattle and around the state of Washington,” Curley said. “Beth’s was one of them.”

Beth’s, famous for its 12-egg omelet, crayon-covered walls and 2 a.m. crowds, is now back to round-the-clock service after years of pandemic closures, ownership changes and an egg shortage that nearly broke the place.

“If you’ve never been to Beth’s Cafe at 2 a.m. after drinking all night, it’s probably the best place to be,” Curley said.

Dumpster fires, cancer and COVID

Beth’s Cafe was opened in 1954 by Beth and Harold Eisenstadt as a nickel-slot gambling parlor. The food came second — a way to keep gamblers in their seats.

The cafe survived a dumpster fire in 1998 that forced a temporary shutdown. In 2002, tech worker Chris Dalton bought the place and built it into a Seattle institution. But Dalton was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and put Beth’s up for sale in 2019. He passed away in April 2020.

Then came the pandemic shutdowns. Beth’s closed in late 2020, saying it was not “economically feasible” to operate at limited capacity. It briefly reopened in July 2021, closed again, and finally returned in February 2023 with limited daytime hours. New owners Tim Crawley and Mason Reed of Tim’s Tavern took over in early 2024 and began slowly extending the hours, according to The Stranger.

For Curley, Beth’s wasn’t just a restaurant that happened to close — it was a casualty.

“Closed for COVID, then opened back up and closed again,” Curley said. “Now it’s back up.”

Nobody takes down the 12-egg omelet

Curley and KIRO producer Paul Holden reminisced about former KIRO colleague Sam Campbell’s on-air attempt to conquer the legendary 12-egg omelet, piled high with hash browns, during a pandemic-era broadcast aimed at encouraging listeners to support local businesses.

“Nobody takes down the 12-egg omelet,” Curley said. “Beth’s Cafe was going through 450,000 eggs a year.”

That appetite for eggs became a crisis when prices spiked. Co-owner Reed told Eater Seattle the diner cracks upwards of 3,600 eggs a week and that hunting for supply during the shortage made him feel “like a drug dealer trying to find my source.” A Washington state cage-free egg law pushed costs from about $0.09 to $0.27 per egg, and bird flu sent the price of a case from $40 to as much as $150.

A rarity these days

Holden said the return to 24-hour service is the real headline.

“That’s a rarity these days,” Holden said. “I think that’s one of the biggest parts of this news.”

Curley agreed, noting that whether it’s graveyard-shift workers, post-bar crowds, or anyone who just wants a plate of eggs at 4 a.m., round-the-clock restaurants have all but vanished from Seattle’s dining scene.

Beth’s Cafe is located at 7311 Aurora Ave. N in Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood and is now open 24 hours a day, including holidays.

“Good for them, 24 hours a day,” Curley said. “Welcome back, guys.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to John Curley weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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