The story
The restaurant has been at James and Yesler in Pioneer Square since 1890. It was rebuilt after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, attached to the neighboring Sanderson Block, and designed by W. E. Boone. Franz Xavier Schreiner started buying the cafe in 1898 for $3,000, and on Sundays he exchanged miners' gold dust for cash.
In 1916 Schreiner handed the business to his son Carl and his nephew John, and three years later he sold it to John for $10. It stayed in the Schreiner family for 74 years. The second floor was once a brothel, and during Prohibition the business moved to the basement. It is recognized as Seattle's oldest restaurant.
Everything that was here
- 1890–present · still open
Merchant's Cafe and SaloonBar
Owner F. X. Schreiner ran a Sunday exchange here trading miners' gold dust for cash. Years later he sold the business to his nephew for $10.
See the map in 1891 →
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Connected places
Doc Maynard's Public House and Seattle Underground
Seattle Underground (Pioneer Square)
Central Saloon
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Nearby history
Seattle Underground (Pioneer Square)
Doc Maynard's Public House and Seattle Underground
The Double Header
Smith Tower
Central Saloon
OK Hotel
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