— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |
Madrone and Pop's bathrooms: kindred spirits.
As we reported a few weeks back, Pop's, the beloved 24th Street dive bar, had been sold to new owners. There was plenty of doom and disgust associated with the news, including our own fears that it might find itself morphed into another forgettable cocktail bar. But, fortunately, it appears things might end up okay.
According to Mission Mission, Pop's has been bought by Michael Krouse of Madrone Art Bar, and he plans to keep the name and “AUTHENTICITY.”
“It’s going to be a place where everyone is welcome and everyone feels at home,” Krouse told the glorified Instagram account. “Any bar that has lasted 67 years has earned the right to continue and thrive. I can’t wait to push it forward with integrity.”
He also outlined his vision for what makes a “good bar”:
A good bar to me is all about AUTHENTICITY. I came to San Francisco because I wanted to be in a place that was unique to everywhere else. I expect the same things from the places I eat and drink at. That’s what makes them special. It can be divey or fancy as long as it’s authentic. And when it’s done right it becomes alive with energy, and you feel that energy the moment you walk in the room. Great bars can and will stand the test of time, they are not trendy, they move beyond what is artificial and become a fabric of the place and time that they exist in.
Krouse didn't lay down any details on what authenticity really means, or if the cheap drinks and barfy smell will remain. We'll update with answers to our follow-up questions when we get 'em.
UPDATE 11:45am: Michael Krouse followed-up with us with more info.
UA: Are you planning any major renovations?
MK: The structural elements will remain in tact. There will be remodeling, and there will be changes to the look and feel. Much of that is still to be determined. However one of the main reasons for buying is POPS is that it has years of character already built in, and I feel thats important to maintain.
UA: Do you expect to morph it into another art bar, or are you thinking about keeping it more of the dive it is?
MK: It will not be called an Art Bar, it will however have a strong element of art and artifact that is relevant to POP'S History and that of a bar that has been in San Francisco for 67 years.
UA: Any plans for the drink menu? Prices?
MK: Its is still being flushed out, however there will be something for everyone, and at all price levels. Cheep beer for those who want it and cocktails for the folks who like mixed drinks.
Comments (15)
Meaning, no more $3 delicious beers for happy hour, or $4 regular. Probably $4-5 for happy hour and $6 regular. In line with other bars, but unfortunate when the history of Pops is taken into account.
haven’t you learned not to assume anything, you dipshit.
‘At all price levels’
It’s obvious by his words, ‘cheap beer’ meaning shitty beer, not good beer that happens to be cheap. Then he says ‘and cocktails’, the cocktails at pops are currently very cheap also. Since he used ‘and cocktails’ in reference to the statement ‘At all price levels’, and started out with something cheap, he clearly means the cocktails are at the other end of the spectrum. so we go from cheap beer to fancy cocktails. No more $4 gin and tonics for me, and highly unlikely we’ll get $3-4 IPA’s.
thanks miss fucking cleo.
who wins this weekend? niners or seahawks?
niners
Yea, definitely.
“Krouse told the glorified Instagram account.” Well played.
so many inferences that pops will be turned into madrone 2.0, which is the real underlying fear:
1. “there will be changes to the look and feel …”
2. “it will however have a strong element of art …”
3. “cocktails for the folks who like mixed drinks …”
20 bags, std’s, fixies, pbr, tags all over.
Erupto 327
Nuff said.
The only thing worse than Valencia Street that 24th could turn into would be Divis.
Haight? Or is that just sooooooo passe it’s not even worth mentioning anymore.
LOL at the drink menu being “flushed out”.
The bartenders are being trained to make cocktails. Ain’t no way is this going to continue to be the same old Pop’s.
Isn’t what people are calling the old Pops actually a hipster version of the older Pops. I used to frequent that place about 15 years ago and then the place became overrun with skinny jeanned fixie riders who liked to put stickers all over things.