After 9 years as a cornerstone of the Seattle bike scene, Peddler Brewing will close March 5

Peddler Brewing is closing in march, nine years after opening its bike-loving doors on Leary Way just west of the Ballard Bridge. Owners Haley and Dave made their bike-friendly intentions very clear from the start by dedicating a front corner of the taproom to indoor bike parking.

With the space mostly constructed, they ran a Kickstarter to fund some finishing touches and to build some hype for their opening (it was 2012-13, after all, and Kickstarter was a pretty big deal back then). One of the donation level prizes was a small plaque on their indoor bike repair stand. Seattle Bike Blog eagerly paid for one.

I found this video in an old Bike Blog post, and it's pretty fun to watch now knowing how much the place grew and changed over the past nine years:

Missing Link art in the bathroom.

But the brewery continued to invest in biking in so many different ways. Haley has served on the Cascade Bicycle Club Board and helped lead efforts to make the Ballard Bridge and the Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link safer. They have hosted so many bike-related events, from Bike Month parties to fundraisers to street fairs. Peddler has been the kind of place where you can bring your idea, and they will probably say yes. They believed in their community, and the community loves them for it.

So it is bittersweet to hear that Haley and Dave will be closing up in March and moving to Arizona. I'm happy they are leaving on their own terms, and wish them the best. Peddler has made Seattle a better city.

Here's their post announcing the news:

Hello Peddler Community!

We have some big news to share. Dave and Haley have decided to move to Arizona and close Peddler this Spring. Between living through this pandemic and having kids, our perspectives and priorities have changed and we're ready for a little less stress in our lives and to focus our energy in a different direction. Peddler's final day open will also be our 9th Anniversary celebration on Saturday 3/5.

Through these 9 years Peddler has been open, we loved building out this space, creating a wonderful community, and running a family-owned business in the best brewery district around. All our wonderful employees and customers have made Peddler what it is and created many cherished memories over the years. We especially loved all the fun events you have joined us for, brewing a diverse lineup of beers for everyone to enjoy, and the blissful summer days in the beer garden. We are grateful to have had this opportunity to be part of the Ballard community.

Peddler has been so much of our lives and part of our family over the past 9 years. Dave and Haley held their wedding reception in the beer garden, we have hosted baby showers, proposals, and celebrations for many of our friends, and hosted our preschool socials. Our boys grew up napping and playing in playpens at the brewery during meetings, and they now love riding the forklift, petting Simcoe, and riding their Strider bikes around the space. We are also blessed to have had Dave's brother, Mike, work with us for 7 of those years as our first employee and then holding almost every role in the business.

We are excited to have made it through the pandemic shutdowns and restrictions and be closing Peddler on our own terms and by choice. And we are so happy that 2021 allowed us to bring back some of our fun events one last time, including summer movie nights and dog parties. While we cannot share details of what will come next, another brewery will soon take over and continue the legacy of brewing and community gathering in this special place.

Thanks again to everyone who has ventured into our space and touched our lives at Peddler. You have created the best memories. Keep an eye on our social media for daily flashback pictures as we count down to closing.

With love, warmth, and smiles, we raise our glasses to you,

~ Haley & Dave Keller

P. S. Join us for some final events and celebrations as we cheers Peddler one last time:

Mark your calendars:

• Saturday 3/5: 9th Anniversary & Closing Party to KILL ALL THE KEGS
• Friday 3/4: Whiskey Mary Irish band rocks the beer garden
• Saturday 2/26: The Professors band rocks the beer garden
• Wednesday 2/23: Astronomy on Tap, resurrecting for one final event at Peddler
• Sunday 2/13: Pugs, Kisses and Poodles of Love! One last pop up dog park in the Beer Garden
• Wednesday 2/9: Pun Slam, Forest's 7th Anniversary show and final event at Peddler

Blow-out merch & beer sales:

• Free logo pint glasses for everyone, while supplies last
• All merchandise 40% off
• All growler fills $8 & growlette fills $5