The chili dynasty that's lasted a century

Ballard is a neighborhood in transition.

There’s always a new townhouse going up, a restaurant calling it quits, a new, hyper-local apothecary moving in next door.

But, among all that change, one establishment has remained for the last century.

Mike's Chili Parlor opened in 1922.

You’ve seen the bar if you’ve been to the Ballard Blocks. Located right next to the Ballard Bridge, it sits wedged between new construction.

Now it's owned and run by Mike Semandiris — he's the fourth generation to take the reins.

But Semandiris says it was never emphasized by his family that he had to be next in line for succession. It was a decision he came to on his own, when his father was considering retiring.