Esteemed independent concert venue and restaurant, The Crocodile will continue its nearly 30 year legacy as a vital part of Seattle’s arts and music community in an upgraded, multi-room location in 2021. The Crocodile will keep business in Belltown at 1st and Wall -- formerly El Gaucho.
The “new” Crocodile will feature a 750 capacity main room, 300 capacity small club, 96 seated theater, art gallery and community gathering space, street-side bar & grill and 18 room hotel (with help from Jena Thornton of Magnetic/ERV). All of these spaces will be supported by the existing full-service kitchen and bars.
“It’s 30,000 square feet of food, drink, arts and entertainment. We’re going to capture that Croc spirit: fans and artists will feel they ‘have arrived’ in a historic space,” says Hunter Motto, Talent Buyer.
“Venues all over the country, including The Croc, are struggling to survive and being forced to make tough choices. In addition to the challenges our business faced with COVID, we are no longer able to stay in our current home of 29 years. Luckily, an amazing opportunity came by way of the Cowen family (new building owners). Now we have time, resources and inspiration to re-build a world-class venue that expands on our tradition of being Seattle’s favorite place to see a show,” says Marcus Charles, Limited General Partner.
While The Croc is not ready to announce all of its plans for reopening, the mission is clear: move its artist-focused philosophy, stages and staff from 2nd & Blanchard to 1st & Wall.
“We want music, art, food and drink to flow in Seattle. We’re partnering with a new nonprofit that will further vitality, inclusivity and diversity in our music and arts community. That means a forum for ideas, training music industry professionals, creating more expressive platforms for local artists and grant funding for a rotating art gallery,” says Josh Saenger, Marketing Manager.
To follow The Crocodile’s progress go to www.thecrocodile.com and join their mailing list or follow them on FB @crocodilesea or IG @thecrocodileseattle. AND…. independent music venues still need your help, please go to saveourstages.com to support the SaveOurStages Act and find out more.
About The Crocodile:
The Crocodile Café, which opened in April 1991 on 2nd & Blanchard, is famed for debut and iconic performances and for successfully weathering turbulent changes in the music industry as one of the last remaining independent venues in Seattle. From Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Death Cab for Cutie to Billie Eilish, Macklemore and Lizzo, playing the Belltown stage has become a defining moment in many artists’ careers.
“Much of the magic of The Crocodile is simple. A big stage, great sightlines and the intimacy of seeing a performance with true and dedicated fans. It’s amazing, last year we produced over 560 events in-house and in venues all over Seattle. With everything going on, expanding is our way of preserving Seattle’s legacy as one of the best cities in the world to experience art and music,” says Hunter Motto, Talent Buyer.
The Crocodile’s investment group has remodeled and reopened the Belltown based event space once before after a brief and sudden closure in March 2007. Critical investors support continues from Marcus Charles (once co-owner of Neumos, cofounder of Capitol Hill Block Party), Susan Silver (venerable Seattle manager for Soundgarden, Alice in Chains), Sean Kinney (drummer of Alice in Chains), Eric Howk (guitarist in Portugal. The Man) and others.
The venue’s management spent years seeking a long term solution to remain at the historic site by either purchasing the building or continuing their lease. In absence of either option, The Crocodile’s team embraced both the inevitable reality and a heartening new opportunity to grow and evolve.
“This is an incredibly special situation, one in a million. We wish it was a template that could be recreated for other venues around the country. We need the whole independent live event ecosystem to survive and succeed, without it there’s no touring and we’re all sunk,” says Motto, Talent Buyer.
About 1st and Wall:
The three story structure at 1st & Wall was built in 1954 as a lodge for The Sailors’ Union of the Pacific. The site's history includes time as Trade Winds Palm Room Nightclub and Piano Bar (in the 60s and 70s), an event hall billed under its original S.U.P moniker (where local promoters in the mid-90s hosted Radiohead, Bikini Kill, Built to Spill, Korn and others). In 1996, the El Gaucho Restaurant Group converted the music venue into the storied fine dining establishment (now a few blocks away at the Union Stables). After their move, the building’s owners, the Cowen family, have shown their commitment to Belltown’s community and focus on maintaining a longstanding local tenant.
There’s one last burning question: is The Crocodile’s iconic sign coming with them?
“Oh hell yes! And we’re going to get it restored and lit up again,” says Adam Wakeling, General Manager.
