Marcus Charles (born November 13, 1973) is an American

restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspe ...

and

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington. He is known for fostering and expanding the

Capitol Hill Block Party The Capitol Hill Block Party is an annual three-day music festival and block party held each July in the Capitol Hill, Seattle, Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Performance genres include Pop music, pop, Rhythm and ...

, resurrecting the

Crocodile Cafe The Crocodile (formerly the Crocodile Cafe, and sometimes called The Croc) is a music club at 2505 1st Avenue at Wall Street in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Opened by Stephanie Dorgan as the "Crocodile Ca ...

music venue, and founding Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room, along with multiple, successful Seattle bars and restaurants. In 2012, he was a recipient of the ''

Puget Sound Business Journal American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes ''The Business Journals'', which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States with each market ...

''s "40 Under 40" award.

Businesses

* 1997: Marcus' Martini Heaven opens in Pioneer Square * 1999: Bad Juju Lounge opens on Capitol Hill * 2001: Takes over

with Dave Meinert (sells shares in 2012) * 2001: Jack's Road House opens on Capitol Hill * 2003: Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room opens on Capitol Hill, with partner Jerry Everard * 2005: Spitfire opens in Belltown, with partners Jerry Everard and

Jonathan Sposato Jonathan Ng Sposato (pronounced SPŌ-sah-toe, born March 17, 1967) is an American serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and media executive known for his influential work in technology and media, as well as his advocacy for gender equality in busi ...

* 2005–2006: Sells all businesses except Capitol Hill Block Party * 2008: Juju opens in Belltown * 2008:

The Crocodile The Crocodile (formerly the Crocodile Cafe, and sometimes called The Croc) is a music club at 2505 1st Avenue at Wall Street in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Opened by Stephanie Dorgan as the "Crocodile C ...

is purchased and renovated in Belltown before reopening in 2009 * 2011: Local 360 Cafe & Bar opens in Belltown * 2013: Sells Juju space to cannabis dispensary * 2014: Bell + Whete European Kitchen & Lounge opens in Belltown * 2016: Bell + Whete closes for renovations before reopening as Belltown Brewing in 2017

Cannabis & Juju Joints

In 2013, Charles co-founded Juju Joints with Rick Stevens of Seattle. Juju Joints are disposable electronic joints (e-joints) pre-loaded with cannabis oil and THC and allow for discreet, odorless consumption of cannabis. Juju Joints launched in Washington cannabis dispensaries in April 2014. Stevens, a 30-year tobacco industry veteran, developed the technology for the innovative e-joint, alongside Charles.

Politics

Politically active in local and national campaigns, Charles immersed himself in the 2012 elections, simultaneously supporting Democratic incumbent President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

in the presidential race, and Washington State gubernatorial Republican candidate

Rob McKenna Robert Marion McKenna (born October 1, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 17th attorney general of Washington from 2005 to 2013 after serving on the Metropolitan King County Council from 1996 to 2005. A member of the ...

. Charles voiced his political opinions in various interviews with Seattle publications including ''The Stranger''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles, Marcus Living people 1973 births