SNOHOMISH — King Charley’s, the striped purple-and-gold hamburger stand off of Highway 9, is “closed indefinitely,” a reliable source in contact with the family said to the Tribune.
The drive-thru restaurant hasn’t been open since at least August, and had been intermittently closed for much of the summer. An employee who was laid off said King Charley’s closed for good in early August.
The land is not currently for sale, but has been marketed before. It is a large 3.35-acre corner property.
People sentimental about King Charley’s note how the burger stand has been in the community for decades.
King Charley’s was a family-run establishment with 59 years in business. Beyond burgers and fries, it hosted car meets, community fundraiser events and plant sales.
Its grand opening was Aug. 22, 1964. Bob Salvadalena and Roy Gabriel helped build the stand for “King Charley,” who was Chuck Bowen, a meatpacker by trade.
Chuck and Mayme Bowen ran the stand for decades, and it stayed in the family through their three children Sally Marsh, Gary Bowen and Janice McCloud.
Chuck passed in 1975, and Mayme persevered, running the stand to the year 2000, according to her obituary.
The Tribune was unsuccessful in speaking with any of the three family co-owners for this story. A reporter reached two disconnected landline numbers, and one had a working landline but nobody picked up and it had no way to leave a message.
The organizers of a series of weekly spring and fall plant sales that have been in King Charley’s parking lot for some 15 years found out it is closing through the family.
They had written a “Farewell to King Charley’s” message in late September to its email list. A pic of part of that email was copied and spread in local Facebook groups.
