‘For Tacoma, it is a big deal.’ Defunct waterfront restaurant to reopen soon

Johnny’s Dock, the marina restaurant in downtown Tacoma, will resurface after all.

The property owners of Thea Foss Marina and Landing confirmed this week that they have leased the building to a new tenant, ending a multi-year operational hiatus for the waterfront location.

Gurinderjit “Gary” Purewal and Poojadeep Purewal will open a restaurant under the name Johnny’s Dock Seafood and Grill, according to an application filed with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board in May.

They did not immediately respond to a request for comment on their plans.

State business documents show they also operate several restaurants in King and Island counties, including Clay Pot on the east side of Seattle’s International District and Tasty India in Oak Harbor.

The restaurant, last known as Johnny’s Dock Restaurant, closed in March 2020 when the owners decided not to weather the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At that time, the restaurant was owned and operated by the property developer, Pacific Harbor Landing and Marina. One of the investors, Steve Novotny, told The News Tribune that summer they were unsure of its long-term fate but didn’t see a sensible path forward amid the initial crisis, which led to the permanent closure of thousands of restaurants across the country.

Novotny purchased the property in 2018 with Roy Kissler, Ken Rody, Adam Raygor, Mike Rozumny and Neil Holden, The News Tribune previously reported. They invested $1 million to modernize the space and the offerings. Some day, they wanted to build a condominium or hotel on the site, but that idea has fizzled.

In a phone call on Wednesday, Kissler said he and Rody are nearing retirement and never intended to be in the restaurant business. After the pandemic closure, they were in talks with a Seattle-based restaurant group to purchase the property, including the restaurant, but a drawn-out sale process eventually collapsed. They opted to put it up for lease and through conversations with a few interested parties landed on the Purewals.

In addition to having the restaurant come alive again, they anticipate “putting a little bit more energy” into the surrounding marina in the coming months.

Added Rody in a separate phone call, “For Tacoma, it is a big deal. Johnny’s has been around for years and years and years”

They could not speak to details of the new restaurant’s concept, menu or timing, outside of a hopeful mid-summer debut.

Before their proprietorship, Johnny’s Dock had, since 1986, been under the purview of John Crabill and Dave Bingham. They had bought it from Crabill’s grandfather, Johnny Meaker — yes, that Johnny, also behind Tacoma’s beloved seasoning salt.

When the pandemic hit, Crabill and his wife Anita also owned Johnny’s in Fife, established 1968. It closed that spring, but the official never-to-reopen came more than a year later, in June 2021. The space remains vacant today.

Johnny’s Dock seems to have a way of resurrecting itself. The original opened near Pier 3 at the Port of Tacoma in 1954 but burned down in 1961. It was rebuilt in the same location, but Johnny and Beulah “Bea” Meaker moved the restaurant to Thea Foss in 1977.

JOHNNY’S DOCK SEAFOOD & GRILL

▪ 1900 E. D St., Tacoma, 206-452-6695

▪ Details: Thea Foss Waterway restaurant will reopen under new ownership, target mid-summer 2025

Reporter’s Note, 6/30/2025: This story was updated to add a current phone number for the restaurant.

This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM.