To our cherished guests,

Webster's Charlestown Street Caf/ has had the opportunity to serve our West Seattle community for over 16 years. It is with heavy hearts that we announce our lease will not be renewed and will end on Dec. 31, 2006, and we will be forced to close our doors.

The property has been leased to a developer. What is to be built here is unknown to us at this time. We have spoken with the developer and he would like us to continue to operate here until demolition begins some time in the spring of 2007. As of this date (July 4, 2006) we expect to continue to serve you until at least April or May of 2007.

We hope this will put to rest the many rumors flying around Charlestown. It is sad and unfortunate news and not what Ron or I wanted or expected. But with all of the development going on in our community, it could not be viewed as unexpected.

Looking back on our time here and even further back to the original Webster's (and even before that the White Spot some 27 years ago!) it has been quite a run.

You have voted us your favorite restaurant, your favorite breakfast place and your favorite chowder so many times is hard to count them all. We have been honored with many other awards also: Best Breakfast in the Northwest; Best Chowder (locally four times and nationally four more times) and we were honored to receive the Mayor's Small Business Award for excellence. In a neighbor caf/ such as 'Charlestown' these honors do not come easily. They are usually awarded to the bigger, more recognizable restaurants and businesses.

We have had the good fortune to have an excellent staff that has been with is a long time - several have been with us since we opened. It is through their dedication and your loyalty that Charlestown has become the West Seattle landmark that it is today. We thank you for that.

In the time we have left we will do our best to keep you aware of any possible changes to the schedule. As it stands right now we have about one year. We hope you will continue to support us as we plan to make this, our last year, a year of celebration. We are proud and honored to have made the Charlestown Street Caf/ a part of our lives. It has been our privilege to serve you.

Larry Mellum

Ron Hanlon

and the Charlestown Staff