Save the Kraken Bar

As we watch live music venues and other charming small businesses disappear in Seattle, we sadly learned recently of yet another potential loss: The Kraken Bar, one of the U District (and Seattle’s!) best dive bars. The Kraken Bar was only given until March to vacate the premises, and the landlords are pressuring to move the date up. Now this venerated and reliably punk rock space (in style and music) must move, and fast!

The bar owners, Dan & Kat Colley, and Will Knupp, have a lot of work ahead of them over the next few months, and it won’t be cheap. There are multiple spaces available, and Dan, Kat, and Will feel confident they will relocate the Kraken to a new home. Those of us that have frequented the Kraken over the years know that their clientele will follow them. As they formalize plans to move to this new space (and outfit it for their needs), they will need financial support.

We set up this Go Fund Me to support the bar, and the families that own it and to ensure it lives on, even in another neighborhood. It is administered by me, Jill Killen (I’ve known Dan for 20 years and Kat and Will for at least 12), but the money goes directly into the Kraken business bank account. We are starting at a goal of $50,000 but that is a small portion of what they need.

Specifically, the funds go towards the following needs:

1. Strip the bar of furniture, equipment, and pinball machines and move to either storage or the new location (if decided by that date).

2. Put money down on the new space

3. Update the new space and get permitted for occupancy, food and liquor under Kraken name

4. Move equipment and furniture in

5. Buy new equipment as needed to match space or for anything broken in the move

6. Assume a slow start as customers find their way to a new location

Support small businesses and live music in Seattle! Please contribute or share (or both) this Go Fund Me to your social media channels.