Five Women Accuse 5 Point Cafe Owner of Rape and Sexual Misconduct

Five women have come forward accusing Dave Meinert, owner of the 5 Point Cafe, of rape and sexual assault over a 14-year period between 2001 and 2015. No charges have been filed against Meinert, but a story published yesterday by KUOW includes detailed accounts of three assault incidents and two instances of rape, as well as harassment and unwanted advances.

The story includes lengthy, disturbing reports that allege Meinert forced himself on the women, each of whom were his acquaintances or friends. One woman did bring her rape complaint to the police in 2007, but prosecutors declined to charge Meinert.

Meinert is a prolific entrepreneur. He owns 24-hour Belltown diner the 5 Point Cafe and is a partner in several other ventures, including Big Mario’s Pizza, the Comet Tavern, and Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge. He’s also involved in the Capitol Hill music and nightlife scene, including acting as a co-founder of the wildly successful Capitol Hill Block Party.

Meinert spoke to KUOW and published a lengthy Facebook post — that is no longer publicly visible or has been removed — in which he apologized for some regrettable behavior but stopped short of admitting to all of the allegations.

The Facebook post read, in part: “I don’t claim to be perfect and certainly have many faults. That’s not a secret. Age and fatherhood and the #metoo movement have given me a different perspective on my past actions.” In the KUOW interview, he said, “I don’t think I’m a perfect guy. But I also did not sexually assault anyone.”

Eater has reached out to Meinert’s team for further comment, and will update this post if more information becomes available.

• Five Women Accuse Seattle’s David Meinert of Sexual Misconduct, Including Rape [KUOW]
• ‘A Range of Disturbing Behavior’ — KUOW Reports on Sexual Misconduct and Rape Accusations Against Pike/Pine Nightlife Owner [CHS]
• The 5 Point Cafe [Official]
• All Coverage of the 5 Point Cafe [ESEA]