After struggling to survive during the coronavirus closure for seven months, the landmark North Park watering hole Bar Pink is permanently shutting down.
It's hard to believe, but San Diegans will never walk into 3829 30th Street in the heart of San Diego's hippest 'hood and see the pink-haired Robin and blond-coiffed Barb ever again. San Diego's smoothest daytime bartender, Lorenzo, will never again greet them as they walk, temporarily blinded, into the darkest, pinkest bar they ever entered. And they'll never again luck into a free show fronted by Bar Pink co-owner and Rocket From the Crypt frontman John "Swami" Reis.
Like all bars and music venues, Bar Pink has been extremely financially challenged during the pandemic, attempting to sell to-go cocktails to survive, but had struggled throughout.
No more pink elephants, no more incredible playlist, no more TCM on the tube, no more crowded shots at the 8 ball, no more bad bands, no more great bands, no more dance nights with Junior the DiscoPunk, no more two-for$5 Tecates, just no more … Bar Pink.
A post on Pink's Facebook page coyly commented on the news.
"The phone has been ringing off the hook today for some reason," the post read. "We do have some news to share … tonight’s live stream with Dan Sartain and Western Settings will be the last performance from our stage. Hope you all can join us for the shenanigans."
It's hard to imagine North Park without Pink, as it was affectionately known. Before the joint opened more than a dozen years ago, North Park was more ghost town than go-to. The more the neighborhood around it revitalized, the more it stayed true to its pink roots. Where else could you run into Ken "About San Diego" Kramer at a rock & roll show hosted by NBC San Diego's SoundDiego music franchise? Where else would you want to grab a quick, quiet beer between soundcheck and the show if you were playing at the nearby Observatory North Park?
According to a report on SanDiegoVille.com, the club is being sold to the founder of a hospitality group whose holdings include Born & Raised and Polite Provisions, and may be renaming and rebranding it as a cocktail bar called Part Time Lover.
A Bar Pink representative said that the club would be releasing an official statement but was not yet prepared to do so.
