Knapp's Restaurant, the Proctor District diner

🍳 A Tacoma Diner Institution Since 1938 Has a New Owner Knapp's Restaurant Begins a New Chapter Under Billy Brewer, With a "Polished, Elevated" Vision

If you've lived in Tacoma for any length of time, you know Knapp's.

Knapp's Restaurant, the Proctor District diner and cocktail lounge that's been a fixture since 1938, has a new owner, and a new lease on life after facing the possibility of closure.

🤝 Meet the New Owner

Billy Brewer bought Knapp's after, by his own account, falling for it on sight.

"At first glance, I kind of fell in love with it. Having so much history and regard in the community, I'm a sucker for that stuff. I felt like this was a very cool brand that needed to continue to exist," Brewer told What Now Seattle.

He spent time getting to know the place before taking over. "They called everybody that was off shift to come down and meet me and tell me stories. I got to hang out in the restaurant and meet the local regulars. I got a wave of great hospitality, great people, and I knew that I found something special."

Brewer's path to restaurants is an unusual one. He left a career in IT and tech sales to pursue a long-standing passion for food, building a venture called Foraged Foods focused on growing and improving food brands.

✨ What's Changing (and What's Not)

Brewer is clear that he's not here to reinvent Knapp's. The goal is a "renewed vision" and a "polished, elevated" version of the diner locals already love.

A few of the changes he's working on:

• Happy hour everywhere: extending it beyond the bar and throughout the entire restaurant

• Filling the midday gap: adding lunch and early-dinner service to serve a different crowd between the breakfast rush and dinner

• A bigger dinner menu: house-made corned beef and baby back ribs are on his wish list

• Possibly extended hours on select days

"The restaurant is big enough, we've got three dining rooms and a lounge, to be able to provide a unique experience for anybody that comes in," Brewer said.

🏛 Why It Matters

Knapp's has outlasted nearly everything around it. Opening in 1938 means it survived World War II, decades of changing tastes, and a Proctor District that has reinvented itself many times over. Beloved old-school spots like this don't always make it when the economics get hard, so a buyer who specifically wants to preserve the character, rather than gut it, is the best-case scenario.

For Brewer, Knapp's might be just the start. "My next mission in 2026 is finding food brands to help enhance, elevate and expand," he said. "I won't be limited to finding other brick-and-mortar restaurants to resurrect."

📍 Hours & Location

Knapp's Restaurant
2707 N Proctor St, Tacoma, WA 98407
(253) 922-6161
Restaurant: Mon–Sat 7am–8pm, Sun 7am–6pm

📬 I'm Aaron Thomas, a local realtor sharing stories that connect us to the places we call home. Every Friday, we publish the South Sound Report, keeping you informed about what's happening in Tacoma, Olympia, DuPont, Puyallup, Lakewood, and the communities in between.

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