Pike Street Hospitality Group
OUR STORY
Pike Street Hospitality Group was founded by me, Travis Rosenthal. I graduated and received a Food and Beverage degree from the Cornell University Hotel School in 1997 and made my way out to the West Coast with no job and $350 to my name. After moving to Seattle in 1998 and managing a couple of restaurants (Il Fornaio and Piatti), I wanted to take the plunge and open my own restaurant, so I went to a bank to get a loan. The bank quickly denied my request, but, they said, based on my experience, I could get an SBA loan to buy an existing restaurant. After looking at many different restaurants, I decided to purchase Tango Restaurant on Pike Street in 2006. As collateral, the bank wanted my house. With a wife and newborn baby, it was a risky move, but what could possibly go wrong?
Thankfully all went well (except for that Great Recession hiccup) and in 2012 (with baby #2!) I got permission from the bank to “expand” Tango and build Rumba next door in an old shoe store.
Rumba is a craft cocktail bar specializing in rum with one of the largest rum collections in the world and some great Caribbean inspired food. Luckily, many other people besides me enjoy rum. Actually, lots of people…
In 2019, I purchased Agua Verde Café located in a 1930’s house on Portage Bay at the University of Washington. When I first moved to Seattle in 1998, I lived right across the water from Agua Verde and would kayak there to drink margaritas and eat tacos. Now, 20 years later, I was excited to own the very same restaurant that I would kayak to with my friends years ago.
In 2020, we had a thing called Covid. As Rumba was shut down for the pandemic, we took over the space next door and built a new 35 seat tropical, underwater, sunken ship, immersion bar called Inside Passage. Oh, yeah...with a sea creature named Kiki hanging above the bar! Rumba then reopened in May of 2021 and our new bar, Inside Passage, opened up to great fanfare in July of 2021!
Spring of 2024, I had the opportunity to reopen a classic 25 year old Seattle sandwich shop called HoneyHole. After freshening up the space, we reopened with most of the original, most popular menu items. Guests immediately came back and many are grateful they can grab their favorite HoneyHole sandwich again!
2025 was busy! A building was available on the corner of Pine and Summit that could house four completely different concepts under one roof! Cantina del Sol was the first to open. A Baja Mexican style roof top bar serving incredible tacos and margaritas. Next up was Double O' Burgers, a takeout window offering affordable onion smash burgers. On the main level, Uncle Dom's Italian Kitchen serves up all the red sauce favorites including chicken parmesan, lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs. And, finally, bar tango, brought back Tango's favorite tapas as well as the famous El Diablo dessert!
Who knows what lies ahead for Pike Street Hospitality Group, but each restaurant has amazing, talented, hard-working individuals who are passionate about their jobs. My role is to give them the tools they need to succeed and help provide the entire team with a positive work environment to ensure guest’s expectations are not only met, but exceeded. I’m a lucky guy to be able to live my dream and work with my talented team to host a party every day!
OUR RESTAURANTS
Rumba has one of the largest rum collections in the world and serves rum-forward craft cocktails made with freshly squeezed juices, house-made syrups, and high-quality ingredients. The drinks are flavorful, focused, and never too sweet.
The food menu highlights Caribbean Island flavors, including guacamole with house made plantain chips, the Cubano sandwich, and fresh-baked empanadas.
Located on the east side of Agua Verde Café with entry by the water, Agua Verde Marina Cantina is presented as a hidden gem for outdoor dining near the waterfront.
It serves many of Agua Verde Café’s popular food items from the Marina Cantina food truck, along with cocktails and other drinks from the bar. Open May-September.
Cantina del Sol is a rooftop bar on Capitol Hill that is casual, colorful, and designed for margaritas in the sunshine.
Located steps from the Convention Center and Paramount Theatre, it is positioned as both a convenient stop for visitors and a laid-back hangout for locals who want tacos and a strong patio experience.
For nearly two decades, Tango restaurant was one of Capitol Hill’s best-known spots, recognized for Spanish-inspired menus, drinks, and an intimate atmosphere.
Bar tango brings some of Tango’s favorites back to the Hill including bacon wrapped dates, tortilla Espana and the famous, El Diablo dessert!
Double O' Burgers feature thin, crispy-edged patties smashed over sliced onions, grilled until caramelized, then layered with American cheese. The bun is set on top of all this goodness, covered and steamed to perfection.
Since these burgers are always steamed at the end of the cooking process and are not served with lettuce and tomatoes, they make great items for large scale catering events. The longer they steam the more delicious they taste!