LAKE STEVENS – Time is up for the Viking Drive-In, a longtime burger and shake spot that’s being forced out of its downtown Lake Stevens space.
The 22-year-old eatery’s last day is today, said owner Jaime Carter. Prospects for reopening elsewhere are uncertain, she said.
“We’ve been looking all along” since the beginning of summer, Carter said. “We haven’t found anything.”
She’d prefer to relocate within downtown Lake Stevens, where the Viking has become a favorite hangout for a few generations of local teenagers.
Carter and her husband have owned the Viking for about five years, and her father operated it for five years before that. Through the Carters and the previous owners, the Viking has fed countless children, teens and parents, and employed many young people.
Its corner location at Main Street and 20th Street NE, however, has been leased all along. Frank McDaniel owns the property, along with the neighboring Lake Stevens Mini Mart and gas station.
McDaniel hasn’t elaborated on his reasons for ending the Viking’s lease. And he wouldn’t reveal much this week about future plans for the location. He said simply that he’s working on something.
In the meantime, Carter said she has reduced her staff, usually numbering between a dozen and 18 people, to seven for the final days. And loyal customers have been stopping by to order a last meal and say goodbye.
“It’s been really sad. It’s devastating for me … but I don’t think I realized fully the impact it would have on this town,” Carter said.
The Viking will be open today from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.
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