I have been busy pestering the partners at Benders Bar in the Mission for months, and now we can finally announce the opening of EMPEROR NORTON’S BOOZELAND in the former Deco Lounge space. Partner Johnny Davis tells me it’s going to be a rock ‘n’ roll lounge/neighborhood bar, but they will no longer have a cabaret license or DJs and entertainment.
The gutting, cleanup, and buildout of the space over the past seven months has been significant—he tells me they removed seven layers of flooring, gaining practically a foot in height! (It now has a poured concrete floor.) They kept the awesome vintage bar, and removed the wall behind it so you can see into the other room. Look for a bust of the namesake Emperor Norton himself in the ticket window, and there will be a portrait of him inside as well. As for the creepy downstairs (which felt like a dungeon), it won’t be open to the public, but you can hang out on the back patio until 10pm, and you no longer will have to duck your head on the stairs either. The capacity is a bit bigger, with all-new electrical, plumbing, bathrooms (yay), paint, and more. Yup, it’s all fresh.
The partners in the venture are Dion Jolley, Liam Martin, Kevin DeMattia, and Johnny Davis, and they will all be doing shifts at the bar, along with bartenders Michelle Kilfeather, Janiece Gonzales, and Courtney Price. The opening should be happening any day now; track the news on the Facebook page. 510 Larkin St. at Turk.
