Bush Garden, a longtime cultural institution in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID), will reopen June 3 after a yearslong closure that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A hat atop the Bush Garden sign at 8th Avenue and South King Street in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District resembles one often worn by the late Bob Santos. (Photo provided by Susan Lee Woo)
Photo provided by Susan Lee Woo
Owner Karen Sakata and the Bush Garden team announced the reopening this week, calling it “a homecoming for everyone who has ever shared a meal, a song, or a late-night memory at Bush Garden.”
The restaurant and karaoke venue will reopen at 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a weeklong celebration. Organizers said the venue will operate as a family-friendly restaurant from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., before transitioning to a 21-and-over karaoke and late-night dining experience from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Bush Garden plans to continue the same schedule throughout the week and weekend. The business will remain closed Tuesdays.
Photo by George Liu
The original location at 614 Maynard Ave. S. closed in 2021 amid financial pressures tied to the pandemic and changes in ownership of the building. Since then, community members have organized fundraising campaigns to help relocate the business to its new home inside Uncle Bob’s Place at Eighth Avenue and South King Street.
Founded in 1953, Bush Garden became one of the CID’s most recognizable gathering places, known not only for its Japanese cuisine and karaoke, but also for its role in community organizing, activism and cultural preservation.
The restaurant served as a longtime meeting place for generations of Seattle activists, including the late Bob Santos, the influential community leader and co-founder of InterIm CDA often referred to as the unofficial mayor of the CID.
Today, a hat perched atop the new Bush Garden location serves as a quiet tribute to Santos, echoing the Panama-style hat he famously wore.
Karen Akada Sakata and Uncle Bob’s photo (Photo by George Liu)
Now, Bush Garden’s reopening inside a building named in his honor marks both a revival of a beloved institution and a continuation of the community legacy Santos helped build.
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