Seattle’s iconic Beth’s Cafe to reopen its doors for first time in months

Seattle’s iconic Beth’s Cafe will be reopening this week, after shutting down for months due to capacity limits put into place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The 24-hour greasy spoon diner known for its breakfast food — particularly its massive 12-egg omelet — closed its doors last October, saying at the time that it would not be “economically feasible” to operate at less than 100% capacity. That decision came months after Beth’s owner, Chris Dalton, passed away following a battle against an aggressive form of stage-4 pancreatic cancer. Dalton had attempted to sell the café to focus on his recovery in 2019.

Now being run by Hazel Dalton, Beth’s will reopen on Thursday, July 8, with modified 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. hours for weekdays, while closing at 5 p.m. on weekends. The hope is to return to its normal 24-hour schedule by September.

Beth’s also urged customers to remain patient as it reopens, due to staffing shortages that have been consistent across the restaurant and hospitality industry in recent months.

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“We’ll be working harder than ever to bring you delicious and satisfying food in our unique space while facing extraordinary challenges and uncertainties,” Hazel Dalton said in a Facebook post. “And with over a year off, we have gotten a little rusty, so please be patient with us! I’m confident we’ll be back in full swing soon.”

Beth’s Cafe first opened in 1954, situated along Aurora Avenue just north of Green Lake in Seattle. The café gained national attention in 2009 after being featured in an episode of the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food with host Adam Richman, who attempted (and failed) to fully consume its now-famous 12-egg omelet.

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