Von's restaurant, first known as Rippe's, opened in 1910 on Pike Street. In 1923, the restaurant moved to 1423 4th Avenue and began serving food 24 hours a day. Owner Frank Rippe closed his cafe in October 1940, and the business was purchased three months later by Seattle movie theater magnate John G. von Herberg, with the new name of Von's Cafe .

The front of this early Von's Cafe seafood menu calls Von's a "worthy successor to Rippe's." Among the items on offer are Olympia Oysters, pan roasted, for 90 cents: "Obtainable only in the waters of the Puget Sound near Olympia, Washington. Truly the peer of all oysters!" The menu can also be folded and mailed, and "Von's will gladly pay your postage."