Belltown Says Goodbye to Juju and Alley Burger

It's all over for Juju, papered-over and up for sale. Says Marcus Charles, the genial owner of a string of restaurants and bars, from Capitol Hill (the original "Bad Juju Lounge") to Pioneer Square (the defunct Marcus Martini Heaven) to Belltown (Local 360, Crocodile, the new Alley Burger), "Change is good."

Charles tells Seattle Met's Chris Werner that he's sorry to see it go, because of all his properties, Juju is the one which spoke to him the most. And yet, with a dozen bars on the 2200 block of Second Avenue, the spot (wedged between Lava Lounge and Shorty's, needs a full-time owner-operator, not someone like himself, who is "distracted" by multiple ventures. This means Alley Burger is also closed.

In the meantime, Jessica Gifford of Bathtub Gin will expand into the Lava Lounge space next door to Juju. Mike McAlpin, the owner of Mama's Mexican Kitchen, confirmed the deal to Seattle Weekly earlier this week.

· Juju [Official Site]