Big turnout for the Jolly Roger grand opening

It was a packed house at the Jolly Roger Taproom grand opening on Saturday.

Charlie emailed us this photo and says, “Got here at 357 to a big line. When they opened the door, the place filled up and they took names for a waiting list. We were 2 pages down it. Since then, no one has gotten in and the line has grown well past where it was when we got here.”

When we arrived a couple hours later to 1111 NW Ballard Way, things hadn’t changed. The line still stretched out the door and each seat inside the pirate-themed restaurant was taken. George Hancock, the owner of Maritime Brewing Company and the Taproom was blown away by the turnout. “I don’t know how that happened,” he tells us, “I want to go out and give everybody a hug and say thank you because without them we wouldn’t be where we are.”

Hancock says with all the negotiations and remodel to the building, this opening day has been two years in the making. The brewery moved from its former location on Leary & 15th because they needed a bigger space, but Hancock refused to leave Ballard. “Ballard’s our home. This is where we want to be,” he says. “It’s nice to finally see it open. That’s all I can say.”