Radio Room

Food, drink, art, music. For the people.

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With a long history in the neighborhood — dating back to the early 1960's — we have seen first-hand the often unsettling pace of change happening around us for many years.

 

We believe that restoring small neglected buildings helps preserve a little bit of the history and character of the King neighborhood while providing our neighbors with a comfortable place to gather and socialize.

 

The Radio Room building is an art deco style former service station, built in 1949 in the aftermath of the tragic Vanport flood as the neighborhood became home to many of those who fled the vanished town. Rich in history but temporarily unloved, the Radio Room building sat unwanted and decaying for many years. With a strong commitment to preservation, we set out in 2005 to clean up the site and recycle the building, leaving the original structure intact to serve as Radio Room’s covered entry and main dining area.

 

Our funky little sister bar, Keys Lounge, likewise sat unloved and decaying for many years until we came along. With a crumbling foundation and collapsing roof, the building had long been a hazard and an eyesore to the neighborhood. We set out to save as much of the old building as possible, successfully restoring the storefront and historic signage, even repurposing some of the old locksmith contents, including many of the keys left behind.

 

What were once vacant and decaying buildings are now two humble monuments to neighborhood history, serving as welcoming gathering places that reflect our commitment to preservation, hospitality and our neighborhood.