Divey downtown institution Dave's Bar, which closed its doors on New Year's Eve, has re-opened as The Lark Bar. As Future Bars, the new owners, promised, not much appears to have changed, aside from the bar's cleanliness level and its menu (though you can still get chili and chili dogs).
Owning a dive bar is a bit of a departure for Future Bars, known for its upscale collection of bars (Bourbon & Branch, Devil's Acre, and Rickhouse) and retail shops (Cask) geared toward a discerning clientele. When the company revealed it had purchased Dave's Bar from longtime owner Dave Supple, it faced a backlash from those who feared it would lose its character alongside its chili dogs and cheap beer.
"We've had a few [regulars] come in, and they're really happy because we haven't changed the place," says general manager Ross Lewis, who's also worked at Bourbon & Branch and managed Tradition and Local Edition, around the corner in the Hearst Building. "It's just spruced up."
"These guys are all about hospitality, so it’s going to be a warm, friendly welcome for anyone who comes to the bar," Future Bars partner Brian Sheehy says of the staff. "If any of the old regulars come back, we are going to be taking very good care of them."
General manager Ross Lewis.
Future Bars got the keys to the space on Jan. 12th, Sheehy said, and after doing a deep clean and adding a new sign, the bar re-opened this past Sunday, Jan. 17th. We stopped into The Lark on Monday night, and other than appearing brighter and cleaner—and having new bartenders—we didn't notice much of a difference. Drinkers will find the same jukebox, the same beers on tap (at roughly the same prices), and the same casual atmosphere. Sheehy tells us Future Bars even lowered the prices on some beers and most well drinks, which now run about $5–7.
"For the most part, it's going to be beer and shots," Lewis says. There's no cocktail menu, but if you want something more complex, the barkeeps, who are largely alumni of the higher-end Future Bars properties, know their stuff. "Everyone knows how to make a Negroni or Sazerac," Lewis notes, promising a good Irish coffee and Bloody Mary as well. Sheehy says cocktails will run about $8–9.
Dave's will offer two items that are new to Future Bars: TVs and food. The sets will be tuned to local sports games, and Lewis says a friend of the group who works for the San Francisco Giants is providing vintage photos for the walls, to make things even more sports-friendly. "It's really going to make it look like an old-school downtown San Francisco sports bar," he says.
Sports photos will soon join the vintage beer and whiskey signs at The Lark.
The chili ($5) and chili dogs ($6) are still there, though "I like to think we've improved it a lot," Lewis says. Eventually, the menu will also include slightly more sophisticated fare like panini, maple-glazed almonds and house-pickled seasonal vegetables (Lewis recommends drinking the juice as a chaser after a shot of Jameson). "We wanted to do a simpler menu, but what we do, we do really well," he says.
When the ownership change was revealed, some customers grumbled that Future Bars was not retaining Dave's Bar's staff. Sheehy said he tried to keep them on. "Two years ago, when we worked out this deal with Dave, there was a meeting we had with the staff and we offered them all employment." He said the staff took the weekend to think about it, and then politely declined the offer, saying they wanted to open their own bar. [Update: former employee Traci V. wrote in this morning to dispute this story, saying "I can assure you this never happened."]
"They’re welcome to come back anytime to have a drink with us," Sheehy added.
As for former owner Supple, Sheehy describes him as "the consummate gentleman ... he’s been a delight to work with, from my point of view. He told me that he’s gone happily into retirement.” Both Sheehy and Lewis also told us if Future Bars didn't move into the space, someone else would have. The landlord was planning to raise the rent no matter what, Lewis said, and Supple couldn't meet the new price. Even though the group didn't keep the name Dave's Bar, Supple did receive compensation from Future Bars.
We asked Sheehy and Lewis if the bar has any plans for the Super Bowl, given its location right between the Super Bowl City festivities at the foot of Market Street and the NFL Experience at Moscone Center. ("In the history of San Francisco, there probably wasn't a better time to open a bar," Lewis told us.) Sheehy said the bar will definitely be open, and they're going to ask the regulars what they'd like the place to do.
Sheehy added The Lark will announce an official grand opening event after the Super Bowl is over. Hours are 11am–2am daily: same as always.
[Editor's note: During the course of reporting on the Dave's closure and Lark's reopening, Hoodline attempted to speak to former employees and Dave's regulars, and no one, including Dave Supple, responded to repeated requests for an interview. If you're a former employee and would like to comment, please email us at [email protected].]
