Seattle Historical Sites

This commercial building is in the Uptown neighborhood.

By 1938, the Mecca Café moved into the 526 Queen Anne Avenue N space from the adjacent space in the building to the south. The business has remained in this space through 2018.

In 1949 the Mecca Café was one of the first businesses in Seattle to get liquor license under Initiative 171, the Washington Alcohol Regulations by the Drink Initiative. This measure reduced the number of alcohol serving licenses within the state. With a license in hand, the Mecca Café and Tavern undertook a substantial renovation in 1950 resulting in the existing storefront. Greene & Tiffany designed these storefronts. Charles A. Tiffany stamped the drawings and was licensed as an engineer. The drawings were dated September 1, 1950. This work designed the existing storefront and interior layout with two counters, an ice cream bar and a series of booths down the center of the space, and a glass enclosed pin ball room.

Charles Tiffany was born ca. 1904 in Washington and by 1930 was listed as an engineer. He was married to Lucile Tiffany.

References:

Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Page: 33B; Enumeration District: 0400; FHL microfilm: 2342227

City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.

Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, ed., Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Guide to the Architects (Seattle, University of Washington Press: 2014), 2nd edition.

King County Property Record Card (c. 1938–1972), Washington State Archives.

Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890–1996.

Seattle Daily Times, March 26, 1949: 3.

Constructed ca. 1923, this one story commercial building features a rectangular plan and two storefront bays. The building stands on the east side of Queen Anne Avenue N. The building faces west. An alley runs along the west side. At least three small wood frame additions project off the rear of the building with a small gravel parking area in the back portion of the site. A concrete sidewalk leads from the rear of the building to the alley.

A flat roof with parapets and rolled roofing shelters interior spaces. Shed roofs clad the rear additions and feature rolled roofing and asphalt composition shingles. A small gable roof addition projects of the center of the rear facade. Sheet metal flashing caps the parapet.

A concrete foundation carries the building’s hollow clay tile structure. Clay tile are laid up with alternating bonding and face bedded courses. Common bond brick, with a raked finish and laid up with header courses every sixth course, comprises the front facade. Brick piers project at either end of the facade and between each storefront. Cold joints at either end of the front facade separate the building from the similarly designed buildings to the north and south. A soldier course runs along the storefront header with another course along the top of the parapet. The parapet steps up at each brick pier and above each storefront.

The front facade features two storefronts. The storefront at the 526, the Mecca Café features an altered storefront and a prominent neon sign at the parapet. The storefront at 528 retains vertical lite wood sash transoms above the marquee. A flush panel personnel door on the rear of the building provides access to the alley.

Alterations include the replacement with vinyl sash of the transom lites at the 526 storefront and painted the brick work above the 528 store front. A series of permits were taken out in the 1930s (1929, 1931, 1932, 1934, and 1936), but did not state the scope of work for each. In 1950 permit 403645 was issued to built out the current Mecca Café storefront. This consists of sandstone bulkhead, recessed angled entrance, wood sash display window, and glass block windows. Work in 1954 (permit 429386) added a new range hood for the restaurant. Work in 1958 (permit 465034) installed the existing Mecca Cafe neon sign. Work in 1969 repaired fire damaged. Work in 1966 remodeled the existing sign for the Mecca Café. Work in 1994 installed the existing projecting front sign for the Mecca Café. Work in 1996 removed and replaced a portion of the building for tenant improvements, changing use from retail to restaurant functions in the 528 store front. Work in 2003 added a new hood and ducting for the restaurant.