So Long to Old Pal Restaurant in Sunnyside

It’s time to say so long to an old pal. The small neighborhood bistro Old Pal is closing its doors after four years on the corner of Southeast 34th Avenue and Morrison Street, the restaurant announced on social media Nov. 4. Its last day of service will be New Year’s Eve.

“I’m leaving this with my heart full,” says Jeremy Larter, Old Pal chef and owner. “We want these last two months to be a celebration for our neighbors and staff.”

The reason for the closure is a combination of personal and professional reasons, Larter says. He and his wife, Emily Bixler, own both Old Pal and the catering company Field Day Feasts, and they are ready to be running just one business.

Old Pal was originally the couple’s pivot when the pandemic temporarily killed their catering business. Field Day is a robust business again and the lease is about to end on Old Pal, so it was a natural ending point, Larter says. Plus, “it’s no secret that restaurants are continuing to get a headwind…We’re ready to make our lives easier,” he says.

Old Pal opened in Sunnyside in 2022 with a focus on seasonal Pacific Northwest vegetables and seafood. The restaurant made news earlier this year when Timothy Wastell of Antica Terra in Amity, Ore. left wine country to cook at Old Pal (he’s, well, old pals with Larter and Bixler). This was noteworthy because Wastell was fresh off a 2025 James Beard Award win for Best Chef in the Northwest and Pacific region (“Palling Around,” WW, May 6, 2026). Larter is now the chef again, after Wastell’s stint.

Before Old Pal and Field Day, Larter cooked at Ken’s Artisan Pizza and DOC. Bixler is also a visual artist and makes sculpture and jewelry at Boet Studio.

Until the end of the year, Old Pal will offer oysters for $2 every night. Also, the restaurant will host its final annual holiday market Dec. 13, a party with a variety of artists and vendors as well as a bar and, no doubt, more oysters.

As for final takeaways from four years in the brick-and-mortar restaurant industry, Larter says he learned the importance of being nimble.

“We’ve pivoted so many times and listened to our customers and neighbors—they will tell you what they want.”