Ballard butcher shop Beast & Cleaver is making a series of changes to its business, citing economic and industry pressures.
In a newsletter to customers, owners Polly Yakovich and Kevin Smith said “economic and political uncertainty, rising food costs, staffing pressures, healthcare, and a fundamental shift in how people are dining” have brought the business to a crossroads.
As part of those changes, the restaurant’s Le Beastro service (which has operated on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays for the past seven years) will pause beginning in May. The owners said the decision was made for financial and strategic reasons “to ensure the whole business can continue to thrive.”
Starting May 1, Beast & Cleaver will return its primary focus to its butcher shop operations. According to the announcement, that includes expanding casual, grab-and-go offerings such as sandwiches, dry-aged burgers, and smoked meats available during daytime weekend hours.
The business will continue its Friday night dinner service at The Peasant, which the owners described as unchanged.
Additional changes are also planned for Little Beast, which opened in summer 2025. Beginning May 6, the restaurant will add Wednesday dinner service, while continuing its monthly burger pop-up on the last Wednesday of each month. By mid-May, the weekend schedule will shift to introduce a new English breakfast service on Saturday and Sunday mornings, followed by a brief closure and reopening for dinner service, including Sunday roast.
The owners framed the changes as a response to broader challenges facing Seattle’s restaurant industry, describing the current period as “one of the most turbulent stretches any of us can remember.” They said the goal is to maintain sourcing standards while adapting to customers who are “looking for value, cooking more at home, and craving quality they can count on.”
Le Beastro will remain open for its final two weekends of service before the pause.
“Small businesses in Seattle need everything we can get!” they wrote.
In their message, Yakovich and Smith thanked staff for their flexibility and said the changes are intended to protect jobs and sustain the business long term.
Photo: Beast & Cleaver