Paseo

Paseo is a Seattle-area restaurant brand specializing in Caribbean and Cuban-influenced sandwiches, roasted meats, seafood sandwiches, and side dishes such as roasted corn. The business began in 1994, when Cuban-born chef Lorenzo Lorenzo opened its first restaurant in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. Its early format emphasized takeout, cash payments, limited seating, and a relatively focused menu that included chicken, pork, and prawn sandwiches as well as dinner plates. The brand subsequently became known for substantial lines, strong local word of mouth, and a signature Cuban Roast sandwich. A second restaurant opened in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood in August 2008 in a distinctive pink building near Shilshole Bay. By the early 2010s, Paseo had developed a strong local following and was receiving national and regional attention. In 2010, the television program Best Food Ever ranked the Cuban Roast second among sandwiches in the United States. The restaurant's popularity was also reflected in customer review rankings, although some critics considered the brand overpraised. Paseo's original operation entered a crisis in 2014. Four former employees filed a civil lawsuit alleging wage theft and racially motivated mistreatment, allegations the restaurant denied. On November 11, 2014, both locations closed abruptly. The restaurant filed for bankruptcy the next day, listing more than $30,000 in debts. The closure generated an unusually intense public response for a local restaurant: customers left flowers, held a candlelight vigil, discussed the closure widely on social media, and organized an unsuccessful crowdfunding effort intended to support a revival. The brand was revived after local entrepreneur Ryan Santwire won a federal court auction for the Paseo name and assets in December 2014. His reported $91,000 bid did not include Lorenzo's original recipes, so Santwire and former Paseo employees reconstructed the menu through reverse engineering. The Fremont restaurant reopened on January 8, 2015, retaining much of the former workforce and supplier network while adding credit-card payments to the previously cash-only model. Lorenzo's sons separately launched Un Bien in 2015, using the original recipes and employing former Paseo staff; Un Bien later occupied the former Ballard site. Under the revived ownership, Paseo expanded beyond its original two-store footprint. A larger SoDo restaurant opened in July 2016 with more seating, alcoholic beverages, and roasted corn. A Capitol Hill location opened in February 2017 but closed after approximately nine months. Paseo later operated a location at Microsoft's Redmond campus and opened a full-size restaurant in Issaquah in August 2022. The brand has also sold food at T-Mobile Park during Seattle Mariners games and adapted its SoDo site during the COVID-19 pandemic by operating a drive-in theater while continuing catering services. Paseo's identity rests on a narrow but distinctive menu, strong regional recognition, and the cultural afterlife of its 2014 closure and 2015 revival. Its current operations, ownership structure, and exact store count should be verified against an up-to-date official source.

Paseo was established in Seattle in 1994 by Lorenzo Lorenzo, a Cuban-born chef. The first restaurant opened in Fremont and developed a menu centered on Caribbean and Cuban-influenced food. Early offerings included dinner plates and sandwiches made with chicken, pork, and prawns. The restaurants primarily served takeout, had limited seating, accepted cash only, and became known for long weekend lines. Paseo also traditionally closed for a winter break near the end of December. The company expanded with a Ballard location in August 2008. The restaurant's reputation grew through local enthusiasm, customer reviews, and food-media attention. In 2010, Best Food Ever ranked the Cuban Roast second among sandwiches in the United States. At the same time, Paseo attracted criticism from some writers who viewed its popularity as disproportionate to the food's quality. By 2014, the restaurant was sufficiently prominent that it appeared near the top of Yelp's highest-rated restaurant rankings and began opening on Sundays. In September 2014, four former workers filed a civil lawsuit alleging wage theft and racially motivated mistreatment. Paseo denied the accusations. The Fremont and Ballard restaurants then closed unexpectedly on November 11. The closure was described publicly as resulting from unfortunate circumstances, with an employee indicating that it was unrelated to the lawsuit. On November 12, Paseo filed for bankruptcy and listed more than $30,000 in debts. Fans responded with flowers, a candlelight vigil, social-media tributes, and a crowdfunding campaign. The Kickstarter-style effort raised approximately $40,000 in its first week but was subsequently abandoned after former employees criticized the attempt and backers withdrew funds. In December 2014, Ryan Santwire won a federal court auction for the Paseo name and assets. The reported bid was $91,000, but the transaction did not include Lorenzo's original recipes because of an objection from Lorenzo. Santwire worked with several former Paseo employees to recreate the food by reverse engineering. The Fremont site reopened on January 8, 2015, drew 50 customers in its first 30 minutes, retained much of the prior staff and supplier base, and began accepting credit cards. The post-bankruptcy history also produced a related restaurant lineage. Lorenzo's sons opened Un Bien in Ballard in June 2015 using the original recipes and former Paseo employees. Un Bien later opened at the former Shilshole Bay site, creating a division between the revived Paseo brand and a business associated with the original recipes. Paseo continued expanding under its new ownership. Planning for a SoDo restaurant began in 2015, and the 4,000-square-foot site opened on July 28, 2016. The opening had been delayed by several problems, including a power outage caused by vandalism. The SoDo restaurant offered more seating than the earlier stores, along with alcoholic beverages and roasted corn. A Capitol Hill branch beside Neumos opened in February 2017 but closed after about nine months and was replaced by a Bok a Bok fried-chicken restaurant. Paseo also operated at Microsoft's Redmond campus and opened a full-size location in Issaquah in August 2022, where some customers reportedly waited overnight. The brand developed additional sales channels through sports and event service. In 2019, Paseo sold sandwiches and roasted corn at T-Mobile Park during Seattle Mariners games. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the SoDo location was temporarily adapted as a drive-in theater while continuing to provide catering. Paseo announced ambitions to expand toward Federal Way, Tacoma, and other suburban communities, although the completion of those plans is not established by the supplied reference material. The brand's current store network and operating status require confirmation from a current official source.

• 2022

  Issaquah location opens

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  Paseo opens a full-sized restaurant in Issaquah.

• 2019

  Paseo enters T-Mobile Park

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  The brand sells sandwiches and roasted corn at Seattle Mariners games.

• 2017

  Capitol Hill branch opens

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  Paseo opens a location near Neumos; it closes approximately nine months later.

• 2016

  SoDo location opens

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  The revived brand opens a larger restaurant in Seattle's SoDo district.

• 2015

  Fremont restaurant reopens

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  Paseo resumes operations under new ownership with reconstructed recipes and credit-card payments.

• 2014

  Original operation closes and enters bankruptcy

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  The two original locations close in November, followed by a bankruptcy filing listing more than $30,000 in debts.

• 2014

  Brand assets acquired by Ryan Santwire

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  Santwire wins a federal court auction for the Paseo name and assets.

• 2010

  Cuban Roast receives national food-media recognition

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  Best Food Ever ranks Paseo's Cuban Roast second among sandwiches in the United States.

• 2008

  Ballard location opens

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  Paseo opens a second restaurant in a pink building near Shilshole Bay.

• 1994

  First Fremont restaurant opens

  [1]Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org

  Cuban-born chef Lorenzo Lorenzo establishes Paseo in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood.

A highly recognizable Seattle regional restaurant brand built around generous Caribbean and Cuban-influenced sandwiches, takeout convenience, and a loyal local following.

• Signature sandwich

  Cuban Roast

  Paseo's best-known sandwich and principal reputation driver. The Cuban Roast became associated with the brand's Seattle following and received national recognition from Best Food Ever in 2010. The post-2014 operation recreated the menu after the original recipes were excluded from the asset auction.

• Sandwiches · 1994

  Roasted meat sandwiches

  The core menu historically included sandwiches based on roasted pork and chicken, presented in a Caribbean- and Cuban-influenced restaurant format. These sandwiches formed the basis of Paseo's takeout-oriented identity and its reputation for substantial portions and long lines.

• Seafood sandwich · 1994

  Prawn sandwich

  Prawn sandwiches were among the early menu items at the original Fremont restaurant, showing that Paseo's menu extended beyond its better-known roasted-meat offerings.

• Side dish · 2016

  Roasted corn

  Roasted corn became a notable offering at the larger SoDo restaurant and was also sold alongside Paseo sandwiches at T-Mobile Park during Seattle Mariners games.

• Prepared meals · 1994

  Dinner plates

  The original Paseo menu included dinner plates in addition to sandwiches. These meals formed part of the early restaurant's broader Caribbean-influenced offering.

• 2014

  Former employees file wage and discrimination lawsuit

  Four former workers filed a civil lawsuit alleging wage theft and racially motivated mistreatment. Paseo denied the allegations. The litigation formed part of the public context surrounding the restaurant's abrupt closure, although the supplied reference says an employee stated the closure was unrelated to the suit.

  Source

Read more

• 2020SoDo drive-in theater adaptation

  Seattle

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, Paseo temporarily converted its SoDo site into a drive-in theater while continuing catering operations.

  Outcome. The adaptation allowed the location to host movie screenings while retaining a food-service revenue stream; its duration is not specified.

  Source
• 2014Fan crowdfunding revival effort

  Seattle metropolitan area

  After the original restaurants closed, fans organized a crowdfunding campaign intended to help bring Paseo back. It reportedly raised approximately $40,000 in its first week, but backers withdrew funds after former employees objected to the effort.

  Outcome. The campaign did not provide a lasting revival mechanism; the brand was instead acquired through a federal court auction.

  Source

• 2016

  Expand into a larger SoDo formatStrategy

  Background

  Following the Fremont revival, Paseo sought a larger venue with greater capacity and additional service features.

  Action taken

  The company opened a 4,000-square-foot SoDo restaurant with more seating, alcoholic beverages, and roasted corn.

  Aftermath

  The SoDo site became a platform for later event sales, sports-venue service, pandemic adaptation, and catering.

  Source

• 2015

  Reopen under new ownership with reconstructed recipesStrategy

  Background

  The asset purchase did not transfer Lorenzo's original recipes.

  Action taken

  The new team recreated the menu through reverse engineering, retained much of the former staff and suppliers, and introduced credit-card payments.

  Aftermath

  The Fremont restaurant reopened on January 8, 2015, attracting 50 customers during its first 30 minutes.

  Source

• 2014

  File for bankruptcy after closureOther

  Background

  The original Fremont and Ballard restaurants closed abruptly in November amid operational turmoil and a dispute involving former employees.

  Action taken

  Paseo filed for bankruptcy and listed more than $30,000 in debts.

  Aftermath

  The name and assets were later sold at a federal court auction, enabling a separate ownership group to revive the brand.

  Listed debts. $30,000+ (2014 bankruptcy filing)

  Source

• 2014

  Acquire Paseo name and assets through federal auctionM&A

  Background

  The original restaurant had entered bankruptcy, while fans and former employees sought ways to preserve the brand.

  Action taken

  Ryan Santwire won the auction with a reported $91,000 bid. The original recipes were not included.

  Aftermath

  Santwire and former employees reverse-engineered the menu and reopened the Fremont location in January 2015.

  Auction bid. $91,000 (December 2014)

  Source

1. 1Paseo (restaurant)en.wikipedia.org