Downtown Bellingham restaurant listed for sale after 23 years of business
A downtown Bellingham restaurant known for its sausages, live entertainment and pirate-themed ambiance has been listed for sale.
El Capitan’s — a restaurant and taproom that serves gourmet hot dogs, sausages, pretzels, craft beer and ciders — has been listed for sale online, as the “current owner is ready to transition to the next chapter after more than two decades of successful operation,” according to the online listing at bizbuysell.com.
“The restaurant currently presents a compelling turnaround opportunity for the right buyer. Like many downtown establishments, the business experienced significant disruption following COVID and more recent economic changes affecting downtown traffic and cross-border tourism. Despite these challenges, El Capitan’s continues to benefit from strong local brand recognition, a distinctive concept, and a fully built-out operational restaurant space,” the listing states.
The listing includes the restaurant’s brand, $75,000 in furniture, fixtures, and equipment, and $3,000 in inventory.
“The current lease runs through Aug. 1, 2028, at $5,174 per month, providing operational stability for new ownership,” the listing states.
“A buyer who wishes to continue the El Capitan’s concept can maintain the current restaurant and taproom dynamic, while another operator may see opportunities to utilize the spaces differently — for example, separating food service from a beer-focused taproom, hosting events or private gatherings, or operating complementary concepts within the same footprint. The configuration allows the business to function as one cohesive restaurant or as two distinct but coordinated hospitality spaces, giving a new owner significant operational flexibility,” the listing states.
The listing is priced at $149,000 online at BizBuySell.com.
The Bellingham Herald reached out to El Capitan’s had not received a response as of April 14.
El Capitan’s is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 3 to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, and 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday at 1201 Cornwall Ave., #101 in downtown Bellingham.
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 11:01 AM.
