The Sisters Restaurant Reinvents Itself
This beloved family-owned Everett diner almost closed forever during the pandemic. Then it was saved by the grandson of the original owner and bounced back with a fresh new vision for plant-based foods and quality espresso.
Imagine the ideal American diner/deli. Stacked sandwiches, thick slices of homemade pie, solid coffee in diner mugs, and classic burgers with the little sliced pickle on top. All of this, laid out perfectly on a Formica table with a napkin holder and bottles of mustard and ketchup. Classic.
This is the quality dining experience that you can expect at Sisters Restaurant in the Public Market building in downtown Everett, Washington. Only, instead of greasy grilled goods, imagine that this fare is lovingly created from scratch with quality ingredients literally every day. No reinventing the wheel here, just consistent, delicious comfort on a plate!
The Sisters Restaurant is somewhat of a legend in Everett among old-timers. It’s been family-owned and operated in the same spot near the Salish Sea waterfront since 1983. For decades it was operated by three of the six Quall sisters, natives of Everett. Their mother established the restaurant shortly after the waterfront lumber mills closed, a time when downtown real estate was cheap, and the city core was vacant. It was to be an investment for the Quall family for generations to come.
Since then, the beloved family-owned restaurant has built a cult following among locals with their no-nonsense, from-scratch all-American comfort food, pastries and, pie. Folks have been meeting up here regularly for decades to talk Boeing politics and local news over stacks of syrup-drenched pancakes or an eggs benedict laden with all the hollandaise sauce and dripping golden yolk.
So it was with great sadness that the Sisters Restaurant announced their closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, a bleak economic interval of time -- an estimated 2,000 restaurants closed in Washington State in 2020. For about a year, the fate of the beloved business hung in the balance. Martha Quall, the original owner of Sisters, and matriarch of the family, was all set to sell the business.
Enter Jackson Quall, grandson of the original owner. In 2021 he announced that he would reopen the restaurant along with his girlfriend Archie Chandler. Jackson, born in 1985, literally grew up in the restaurant. His first job was washing dishes in the back. Jackson and Archie, a vegan couple, also announced that they would reboot the menu to offer fresher take on the classic fare.
Jackson, a resident of Seattle’s Capitol Hill, has indeed brought a more modern vibe to the beloved Everett establishment, swapping out fluorescent lights and bright colors for more ambient tones and a muted palette. He kept the vintage Formica tables, exposed brick walls, and wooden floorboards that were once trodden by riveters during World War 2. The guts of the original establishment are still here, but the spirit has changed. It’s a new vision.
With Jackson and Archie securely at the helm, the legacy restaurant is on its third generation of management with no plans to call it quits any time soon. Locals flock to Sisters more than ever, sometimes lining up out the doors for brunch on the weekend. That’s a sign that they’re doing something right.
So, when in Everett, eat like a local. Go where the delicious goods are and support this small family business that could – and still does. Choose Sisters.
Sisters Restaurant
2804 Grand Ave, Everett, WA 98201
