West 5, the retro-themed restaurant and lounge in the heart of the West Seattle Junction will celebrate its eighth anniversary in business on Tuesday Feb. 8. West 5 opened its doors at 4539 California Ave s.w. in 2003.
The occasion means a party is in order and they plan to celebrate with happy hour prices all day plus some giveaways and the sharing some of the history of the building's previous occupants.

Owners Dean Overton and Dave Montoure are both West Seattle natives, and have focused their energies on building a successful business that features unique iconic West Seattle artifacts and décor that they both ardently collect and display.

Montoure said, “This is a milestone I could not have imagined nine years ago when Dean and I quit our corporate day jobs to become restaurateurs. With so many changes in the Junction, it feels good to be known as the place that offers the quintessential West Seattle experience to residents and visitors to the area.”

In addition to being the venue for marriage proposals and visits from rock legends, since its opening in 2003 West 5 has established itself as the first non smoking cocktail lounge in Seattle, proving that a successful smoke free cocktail lounge was possible well ahead of the subsequent Washington state legislation that banned smoking in such establishments.

“Things get tough during a down economy and unfortunately we’ve seen some places come and go.” said co-owner Overton. “We feel fortunate to keep chugging along, offering wholesome food and excellent cocktails.