Vaunted Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas expands to the Eastside with new Serious Pie location

Celebrated Seattle chef Tom Douglas is coming to the Eastside. Construction has started for an outpost of Serious Pie at The Village at Totem Lake in Kirkland and Douglas’ newest pizzeria is expected to be ready by spring 2022, according to management from Douglas and the Kirkland mall.

Douglas could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, but his spokesperson Amy Richardson confirmed the expansion. “We have been looking at the Eastside for years to open something. … it seems like a great time to pull the trigger,” she said.

Serious Pie is arguably Douglas’ most successful brand, with locations in Ballard and downtown Seattle. The new Kirkland pizzeria will include 80 seats in addition to an outdoor patio.

Last year, the James Beard Award-winning restaurateur was the first big-name chef in Seattle to shut down his restaurants during the pandemic. Now, thanks in part to a $10 million grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund, Douglas is slowly rebuilding his mini empire.

He’s reopening the Carlile Room downtown and will soon reopen Lola, according to management. 

In Seattle, he has also moved his two marquee brands into the former Dahlia Lounge restaurant space. The downtown Serious Pie, which reopened last year, has relocated into that prime real estate. Douglas also knocked down the wall separating Dahlia Bakery and Dahlia Lounge to expand his bread and dessert operations.

The Village at Totem Lake has been aggressive in luring many national and local chains to anchor its mall, including Seattle’s Bok a Bok Fried Chicken, Portland’s Salt & Straw and Los Angeles chain Silverlake Ramen. But Douglas is its biggest score yet.

In a released statement, Ray Chavez, General Manager for CenterCal Properties, said “Serious Pie is a great addition to our stellar restaurant line-up. With Cinemark just steps away, we know it will be a popular destination for guests to enjoy dinner and a movie.”