Ballard’s oldest restaurant to get ‘heart bombed’

Update: As planned, Hattie’s got hearts, and here’s the photo to prove it:

(Courtesy of the Ballard Historical Society)

Earlier: When you look through all those 1970s photos of Ballard — of businesses that have come and gone — there’s one that looks nearly the same as today: this photo of Hattie’s Hat.

Hattie’s Hat has the distinction of being Ballard’s oldest continually-run restaurant. It began as a saloon back in 1904, and then it added a restaurant in the 1930s or 40s, explained owner Max Genereaux in an interview a few years ago. “It became a diner in the 50s. It was called the Old Home and then Malmen’s,” he said.

That’s a long time for a restaurant to run, and the Ballard Historical Society wants to honor Hattie’s Hat with a “heart bomb” on Valentines Day morning. Both a national and local event, heart bombing is when people create homemade valentines for their favorite places.

“To join in, craft up a valentine and then go out and join us at Hattie’s at 8 a.m. (2/14) to show some love for the places that matter to you! We’ll snap a picture, and share on social media using #heartbombSEA and #IHeartSavingPlaces,” explains the society on Facebook.

If you need inspiration, here’s the heart bombing of the Old Ballard bell tower in March of 2016.

(Photo from the Seattle Municipal Archives)

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

3 thoughts to “Ballard’s oldest restaurant to get ‘heart bombed’”

  1. Sorry guys, don’t bother doing anything fun or interesting ever, because Access has deemed it not “productive”. We should instead spend all day whining on neighborhood blogs about the homeless!

  2. @truth
    you are exactly right.
    it does seem productive to me. honoring and showing a wonderful business that we appreciate them and want their business as much as they want ours.
    its a historic place, an awesome place to eat and hang out with friends.
    it is being productive. in numerous ways.
    “access” needs to get a life and maybe some fresh air then get out and actually “enjoy” ballard instead of dissing ballard.

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