About us

100 Years of Family History

Our Timeline, Over a Century Strong

Hospitality runs in our blood. What began with a Wisconsin cheesemaker in 1904 grew into a five-generation legacy of Seattle restaurants, spirits, and sourdough — and we’re just getting started.

Graphic design featuring the outline of Wisconsin with the words “Master Maker” in bold script and a wheel of cheese, representing artisan cheese craftsmanship.

1904

Merrisa’s Great-Great Grandpa was a Master Maker of famous Colby Cheese in Wisconsin.

Sunny Jim Pure Washington Raspberry Label

1933

German Firnstahl, Merrisa’s Great-Grandpa, starts the Sunny Jim Peanut Butter Company — first roasting peanuts at Pike Place Market before moving to the iconic SoDo building. The family business later thrived for 35 years under her Grandpa, JP Firnstahl.

Tim and Mick in suits drinking beer with the wall of spirits behind them

1974

Merrisa’s Dad, Tim Firnstahl, and business partner Mick McHugh open Jake O’Shaughnessy’s Saloon & Eatery in Lower Queen Anne, reviving the legend of a Gold Rush–era saloon keeper. Known for its massive spirits library, Jake’s earned a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest collection of fine spirits — and bragging rights as the first bar north of San Francisco to serve Guinness on tap.

Tim Firnstahl sharing a candid moment with kitchen team members behind the bar in the early days of Von’s 1000Spirits

1977

Tim Firnstahl and Mick McHugh open FX McRory’s in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, taking a gamble on a gritty neighborhood on the rise. With the new Kingdome nearby, they built the ultimate sports whiskey bar — complete with a wall of spirits and a LeRoy Neiman painting commissioned for $100,000 (yes, paid in gold!). The artwork landed in TIME Magazine and cemented FX McRory’s as a Seattle icon.

1984

Tim and Mick chartered the British Airways Concorde for its first visit to Seattle, flying the newest vintage of George Duboeuf Beaujolais from London for its inaugural release in the United States.

Black-and-white photo of two men seated at a table inside a restaurant, silhouetted against large windows with the Seattle Kingdome visible in the background.

1987

Tim and Mick split their empire up by tossing a coin at the Space Needle. Tim ended up with Von’s and 5 other of their famous restaurant.

Vons marquee seen from a crowded street

1987

Tim Firnstahl opens Von’s Grand City Cafe at 619 Pine Street, a downtown spot that quickly became famous for its generously poured martinis and manhattans. Guests flocked for the drinks — and the chance to spin the Wagering Wheel, earning the bar its tongue-in-cheek nickname, the “Martini Manhattan Memorial.”

Busy interior of Sharp's Roadhouse

1988

Tim Firnstahl opens Sharps RoastHouse near SeaTac Airport, expanding the family legacy with a bold roasthouse concept featuring a 25-foot Radiant Roaster, craft cocktails, and a signature spirits collection.

Missy Claridge, Tim Firnstahl, and Jason Amador holding sourdough loaves at Von’s 1000Spirits new Seattle location, 1225 1st Avenue

2012

The original Von’s closes its Pine Street doors and reopens downtown as Von’s 1000Spirits, led by Merrisa Claridge. The new name celebrates the family’s legendary spirits collection.. The Wagering Wheel and famously affordable martinis live on, reimagined for a new generation of Seattle regulars with our famous Sourdough.

Merissa and Nick smiling and holding a bottle and a large round wooden plaque

2022

Merrisa Claridge opens Northwest Spirits, the region’s only Certified Woman-Owned distillery specializing in blended bourbons. Born from a belief that life’s too short to drink a bad martini, Northwest Spirits was created to make better cocktails — from bespoke bourbons to the spirits that now anchor every Von’s bar.

Von’s 1000Spirits bar in Woodinville with backlit spirits wall and marble bar top

2023

Merrisa Claridge opens Von’s Woodinville, bringing the family’s iconic sourdough kitchen and signature cocktails to wine country. Just next door to Northwest Spirits, Von’s Woodinville restaurant blends generations of craft with a fresh, modern energy — proof that great food, spirits, and hospitality only get better with age.

Tropical bourbon cocktail with crushed ice, a hula skirt garnish, and a lit sparkler being ignited.

2026

Opening soon — Von’s Kirkland, the newest chapter in a five-generation legacy. This location will bring Von’s signature scratch sourdough, handcrafted cocktails, and spirited hospitality to a fresh neighborhood — same soul, new stage.

LeRoy Neiman painting of a busy bar scene with a wall of liquors in the background

An Icon on Canvas

Our story spans five generations — from a 1904 Wisconsin Master Cheese Maker to some of Seattle’s most legendary bars. In the 1977, that legacy came alive at FX McRory’s Whiskey Bar.

At the height of its run, FX commissioned world-renowned artist LeRoy Neiman to capture the bar’s energy on canvas. The payment? $100,000 worth of gold.

The result was a bold, larger-than-life painting — a vibrant snapshot of Seattle’s spirit, wall-to-wall bottles, familiar faces, and the electric atmosphere that defined an era. It remains a symbol of our family’s belief that hospitality should be unforgettable.