Renton Then and Now

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Renton Then and Now

Then and now photos, media, and history about Renton, Washington. Please follow, like, comment, and share my content with anyone that might have an interest!

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11/12/2025

The 1967 "then" photo shows Maverick Steakhouse at 74 Rainier Ave S shortly after the building was completed. Maverick was a budget friendly steak restaurant known for serving food on heated steel plates. It was franchised by the Maverick Corp and other locations included Burien, Federal Way, Ballard, Bothell, and Lynnwood. A 1965 Seattle Times article quoted a franchisee stating "These restaurants specialize in the $1.29 steak. The Maverick operation is a place where the blue collared worker can take his family for a good meal he can afford." In Renton, Maverick was near the Boeing and Paccar plants and attracted many working class families. It remained here for 24 years. In 1991 it became Tommy's Cafe, a diner which continues to be family owned and operated to this day. Much of the interior remains unchanged and having a meal here is like going back in time.

1967 photo courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives, colorized. TV commercial courtesy of YT Kevin Noonan.

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11/10/2025

The 1962 "then" photo shows the Barei Building at 306-310 Wells Ave. The first floor businesses are Christy's Tavern and a real estate office. Christy's was here from 1956 - 1970s. A 1979 photo shows it was replaced with Jackie's Place, which was here until at least 1991. There are also large signs for China Coast and Free Spirit. China Coast was in the adjacent building under common ownership. The building had a major remodel in 2005 for Armondo's Cafe Italiano, which moved here from its original location at 3rd and Main. Armondo's closed in June 2011. Since January 2013 its been Marianna Ristorante.

Fun facts: The building was built by Ernesto Barei, a Renton resident of Italian decent. He and his family operated several Renton businesses in the 1930s. In the 1962 photo, Wells Ave was one way northbound and Houser Way had two way traffic. Today it's the opposite, Wells has two way traffic and Houser is one way. Finally, Armodo's was owned by Armondo Pavone, now mayor of Renton.

Building photos courtesy of Renton Historical Society. 1962 photo is colorized.

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11/07/2025

The 1964 "then" photo shows the Richfield Service Station in the Kennydale neighborhood at the north end of Renton (1302 N 30th St). The building was built in 1959 by the Richfield Oil Corporation. In 1964 a canopy was constructed over the dispensers. Over the next decade it changed hands several times, and was Porky's Richfield Service (1966-68), Macready's Richfield Service (1969), Jerry Smith's Richfield Service (1970-71), and Kennydale Rocket Gas (1972-73). In the mid 70s it was remodeled for retail use and, though vacant for many years, it was Video Library (1987) and Star Time Cable (1991). From about 1996 to 2014 it was Kennydale Realty, owned by Glenn and Linda Knowle. In 2020 it became Cloudbreak Cafe which served coffee, pastries, ice cream, and hosted various food trucks and car meets on the site. Today, the building is Filling Station Coffee & Bistro.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives (colorized). Music: Jumpstart by TUAZ.

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11/04/2025

The 1955 "then" photo shows Broom Burgers at the corner of 2nd and Logan, just east of Renton High School (526 S 2nd St). The building was built in 1949 and the drive in restaurant was run by Carl Broome. In the 1960s the building changed hands multiple times and was Blue Ox Drive In, Art's Drive In, and Big Red Drive In. In 1973, Renton Auto Electric took over the building and remained here until at least 1991. In the early 2010s it was Tony's Teriyaki & Pho. Since 2014 it's been El Kiosko Mexican Restaurant. The 76 year old building was recently purchased by the Renton School District and the site will be incorporated into the new Renton High School construction project in the coming year. El Kiosko intends to relocate nearby and continue business.

Photo is from a 1955 Renton High School yearbook advertisement, colorized.

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11/01/2025

The 1975 "then" photo shows Chuck's Donut in a small 800 square foot building at 14413 SE 128th Street in the Renton Highlands. Back then this was outside the city limits in unincorporated King County. The popular donut shop was owned and operated by Chuck O'Neil. In 1998 the business was sold to Sing Phon. This was the same year Renton annexed the area and the address changed to 5335 NE 4th St. The 2004 photo shows Chuck's Donut before the building was demolished and replaced with a multi-tenant strip mall. The new building was completed in 2005 and Chuck's reopened in essentially the same location. Today, more than 50 years later they continue to produce a large assortment of fresh donuts each morning and are consistently voted one of the Best Bakeries in Renton. They are most known for their maple bars, which are huge and have a distinct whipped frosting.

Trivia: In July 2016 a customer accidentally drove his vehicle though the front door of the building. Luckily nobody was hurt and the damage was relatively minor.

1975 photo courtesy Puget Sound Regional Archives, colorized. 2004 photo courtesy Jackie Cavins.

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10/30/2025

The 1963 "then" photo shows Renton Valley Fuel Co. at the corner of Airport Way and Logan Ave (30 Logan Ave S). The company delivered fuel oil to residential customers back when natural gas wasn't available to heat your home. The business was here from 1953 to 1963. In the early 1970s the building housed Matthies Key & Sharpening Shop. Since 1985 its been Sub Shop 8 and the large "Subs To Go" sign has caught the attention of commuters for the past 40 years. Anthony Eng owned and operated this sub shop, which was one of the few sandwich shops in the area at the time. Today, a second generation of family members continue the business, which caters to Boeing workers, Renton HS students, and local traffic.

Fun facts: To the right of the building is a billboard for Tiffany Park, which was a brand new housing development in the 1960s (located next to Tiffany Park Elementary). There were several other billboards along Logan advertising to the thousands of Boeing employees entering the factory along this route. There was even an extra sign on the front of the building advertising for the Don A Lisa Motel on Bronson Way. To the left of the building is a partial view of the Northern Pacific railroad bridge that crossed the Cedar River. A 1966 aerial photo shows a better view of the bridge and tracks, which were demolished in the early 1970s.

Photos courtesy of Renton Historical Society, colorized.

10/27/2025

The 1979 photo shows McDonald's at 4411 NE Sunset Blvd in the Renton Highlands. The building was built that year and has the recognizable mansard style roof. There's also an outdoor "PlayPlace" with play structures resembling McDonaldland characters (Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Officer Big Mac, etc.). These playgrounds were extremely popular and having one's birthday party at McDonalds was common. For older kids and teens, McDonald's was a place to hang out and meet up with friends. Today, McDonald's is still here but in a newer building built in 2012. There is still a PlayPlace but it's now indoors.

Trivia: PlayPlaces first started showing up 1972, and there were several play structures that franchisees could choose from based on their available space and budget. The play structures moved indoors in the 1990s and included multi-story climbers and ball pits. Due to health and safety concerns and fewer families eating out, some new and remodeled McDonald's no longer include them.

Photo courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives (colorized)

10/24/2025

The 1984 photo shows Rax Restaurant in Benson Hill at 17816 108th Ave SE shortly after the building was built. Rax was a fast food chain known for its roast beef sandwiches, salad bar, and baked potatoes. It originated in Springfield, OH, and grew to over 500 locations nationally in the early 1980s. Their slogan was "Fast Food With Style." The company filed for bankruptcy in 1992. The building became a Wendy's which lasted for many years, but it too eventually closed. In 2018 the building was demolished and Renton Dental Arts was constructed on the site.

1984 photo courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives, colorized.

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10/21/2025

The 1938 photo shows Williams and O'Harra Garage at the corner of 4th Street and Williams Ave. There's a large garage door and a gas pump facing 4th. The building was built in 1920. In 1955 the building was sold to Chris Bevan, and Bevan Plumbing and Heating was here until 1980. In the mid 80s to early 90s it was Sessions Discount Merchandise. Since 1995 it has been Whistle Stop Ale House.

Photos courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives and Renton Historical Society, colorized.

10/17/2025

The 1965 "then" photo shows Dari Delite at 11901 Renton Ave in Skyway. Many will remember this building as Basket Case Drive In, which was here since at least 1983 and was known for its burgers, fries, and milkshakes. The building was demolished in 2011 and is now a parking lot. Prior to demolition, one of the Basket Case signs was saved by a resident and is a nostalgic symbol of the Skyway community, an area located just outside Renton in unincorporated King County.

1965 photo courtesy of Puget Sound Regional Archives, colorized.

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