The Gold Dust Lounge, the beloved and recently embattled 79-year-old Union Square bar, will initiate an unexpected solution to its landlord drama tonight: a move to Fisherman's Wharf.
On Tuesday, Gold Dust Lounge spokesman Lee Housekeeper announced immediate plans to move the bar from its current location on Union Square to a new location in Fisherman's Wharf, starting Wednesday night. And the Gold Dust is taking everything with it – the bar, the chandeliers, the band and even the ceiling.
"[There has been] Unbelievable planning and detail involved in preserving the antique bar and interior fixtures so important to the legion of Gold Dusters," said Housekeeper to The Huffington Post. "There is only one company that can do this [move] and if we don't do it tonight, it could not be done for two months. It's been like Ike planning D-Day around the May and June Channel tides."
Thus, today is last call at the Gold Dust Lounge.
In true Gold Dust fashion, the bar is throwing a farewell party in the middle of the afternoon today, surrounding a 2:30 p.m. press conference with the owners and Supervisor David Chiu. Besides information about the new location, the event will also feature $1 drinks, free t-shirts and "Save the Gold Dust Lounge" CDs, a performance by the band and plenty of reasons to blow off that 4:00 meeting.
According to Housekeeper, the move to Fisherman's Wharf will take approximately four months to complete and, in the meantime, the bartenders and staff will move to Lefty O'Douls (another Union Square institution by the same owners) to open a mini Gold Dust Lounge.
"We're taking care of everyone," he said.
Though some patrons may bristle at the new location, the Gold Dust Lounge has managed to hold down a (somewhat) local following in Union Square – the only neighborhood in San Francisco that might be more touristy than Fisherman's Wharf. And though the solution may be different than anyone expected, the Gold Dust Lounge has officially been saved.
"It's rare you get a new lease on life," said Housekeeper.