KINGSTON — The Kingston Inn will not be returning to the Little City by the Sea.
Almost a year and a half after the popular North End eatery burned down in an electrical fire on Sept. 20, 2005, owner Mike Prestley told the Herald Friday all plans to rebuild on the property have been halted.
“The bottom line is to build the restaurant on the same footprint is too expensive,” Prestley said. “The cost is overwhelming. The menu prices would have been way too expensive, like $30 a dinner.”
In an effort to try to rebuild and keep food prices reasonable, Prestley formed a partnership with a developer to construct a new building featuring a restaurant on the ground floor and condominiums reaching several stories into the Kingston skyline. The developer reportedly reneged on the idea, as did Prestley’s other partners, when it became apparent the condos — which were in the $1 million range — would not sell in Kingston.
“I knew the condo idea wasn’t feasible,” said Kingston Kiwanis president Debbie Anderson. The Kiwanis used to meet at the Kingston Inn, and moved to American Marine Bank just before it burned down. “That’s such a nice property for a restaurant, I hope something nice goes in there.”
Kingston Citizens Advisory Council member Walt Elliott said he hears regularly about residents who met their spouses there, had meetings with old friends or simply enjoyed the breakfast cuisine served up diner-style at the restaurant.
“I know people remember it fondly as a part of Kingston’s history,” he said. “I know people ate there regularly. Between that and Mitzel’s burning down, there’s no longer a regular place to eat breakfast around here. I think there’s a lot of regulars that miss it.”
Mitzel’s, which is located in Poulsbo Village, burned down on May 30, 2006, effectively stranding people who migrated there after the Kingston Inn became unaccessible. Mitzel’s is expected to be rebuilt and open this summer.
“The people are hungry,” said Downtown Kingston Association and Kingston Stakeholders member Sonny Woodward. He said while the other downtown Kingston businesses do a great job, the Kingston Inn filled a specific niche in the community. “It’s sad. I hope someone else will have the chance to start something new in Kingston.”
Woodward said he’s looking to the future as far as breakfast restaurants are concerned, and feels several new businesses will spring up in the void the Kingston Inn has left behind, especially with the growth predicted for the North End.
“It’s very possible another kind of restaurant like it will show up,” he said. “I bet several will as the community starts to grow.”
After more than 30 years of running the Kingston Inn, Prestley has decided to throw in the towel, opening up an opportunity for other restaurant entrepreneurs. The property will be sold, he said, though the paperwork to do so is still in process.
“It’s sad,” Prestley said. “It’s really sad.”
“You always feel bad,” Woodward said. “There are a lot of what I call orphans after the Kingston Inn and Mitzel’s burned down. For a lot of people, it’s a very social event to go to breakfast.”
