Rags to Riches by longhairjames
I first walked in to the Mecca in 1989. A year later I was bartending there. When I first started working there we had two beers on tap, Olympia and Bud. You could get a scooner for $1.25 or a pint for $1.75! I was an old mans whiskey water bar and the clients were regulars that had been coming there since 1929. The juke box was so out dated it was cool. In fact the whole place was like stepping back in time. That was it’s charm! I was a seattle scenster and the bar didn’t stay a “vip” secret for long. It started one slow day, there weren’t any customers and I ran across the street to an old five and dime store that is long gone now. I bought several packages of colored markers, crayons and watercolors. A couple of us bartenders fancied ourself artists and when it was slow we drew on upside down pressed cardboard coasters. That day I decided to place markers in rocks glasses along the bar and flipped all the coasters over next to them… History was made!!! by the next year, the juke box was blasting local Grunge, LA Punk, N.Y. Underground and ofcourse Frank still crooned. I was lucky to leave with three bucks in my pocket when I started. When I left due to heroin addiction in 1994 I was making 40,000.oo plus a year. The Mecca is still in my heart and always will be! I’m glad it has become what it is and I am proud I was a part of it. Some of my original coaster art is still up. I know the very first one put up, do you? I would highly suggest a visit to this local institution! You can sit where Elvis sat, eat where Kurt cobain ate, flirt where River Pheonix did and soo much more, it’s the best dive bar in seattle. I miss it very much, Have fun there and tell em Long haired James sent ya!
over 5 years ago
