People line up as last Shakey’s in western WA gets ready to close
People line up as last Shakey’s in western WA gets ready to close
It’s a weekend afternoon inside Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in Renton, the tables are full, the salad bar is stocked, and the kids are playing the arcade games. This location is the last Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in western Washington. "It’s just a shame that all the Shakey’s are disappearing slowly one by one," said Jason Willingham, who has been going to Shakey’s since he was just five years old.
SEATTLE - It’s a weekend afternoon inside Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in Renton, the tables are full, the salad bar is stocked, and the kids are playing the arcade games. This location is the last Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in western Washington.
"It’s just a shame that all the Shakey’s are disappearing slowly one by one," said Jason Willingham, who has been going to Shakey’s since he was just five years old.
He stood in line with a crowd lined up outside the restaurant on Saturday to get one last taste before the restaurant closes.
By the numbers:
"Before the recession there were almost 700 in the United States, after the recession 23, there are now up to 70 something," Lori Bender, owner, said. She told FOX 13, this location has been open for more than 40 years, and it was the only Shakey’s in the area that survived the recession.
"The community is what kept it open during the recession, the community is what kept it open during covid," Bender said.
She took it over nine years ago, but her last day in business is Monday or as the sign on display said, whenever the dough runs out. "We rolled dough for 24 hours straight and sold out in five hours," Bender said.
What they're saying:
"The pizza’s the best," Willingham said. "No one has a sauce like on a Shakey’s pizza."
For Willingham, Shakey’s is more than a pizza parlor, it’s a slice of his family’s history. "Every person in the family has celebrated their birthday parties at a Shakey’s pizza from my grandparents to my kids," Willingham said.
"I had an 80-year-old couple who this was their first job, so they had their anniversary here," Bender said.
So, what’s behind the closure?
Bender told FOX 13, they got a new building owner and she’s ready to retire.
"The last nine years have been great; I feel good about giving the community nine more years of Shakey’s s and I hope there’s a younger generation that steps up and starts opening the bigger Shakey’s."
The last Shakey’s in Washington is in Pasco.
The Source: The information for this article comes from original FOX 13 reporting with Shirah Matsuzawa.
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