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Brooklyn Bar & Grill in City Heights buzzed with patrons Thursday evening, the kind of scene its owner, Bill Lutzius, had eagerly anticipated for the past year.
Early on COVID-19 forced business owners to lay off longtime bartenders and wait staff, scraping by on government assistance until life could return to normal.
That day now appears fast approaching, but Lutzius won’t see it. Last week, he was found at his Mission Hills home, dead at age 63 of an apparent heart attack.
“We thought we had more time with him,” said a teary-eyed Denise Larson, who helped organize a celebration of Lutzius’ life at Brooklyn Bar on Thursday.
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It’s been a year since the coronavirus laid waste to San Diego’s nightlife scene. But on a recent Friday evening, the crowd at Brooklyn Bar & Grill in City Heights seemed at ease in their surroundings.
People pulled down face masks as they sipped drinks on the establishment’s recently reopened patio. Many patrons had been vaccinated against the still lurking virus.
“It’s important to get out a little bit. It’s a little sanity,” said Sara Gonzalez, who shared pleasant drinks with a friend. The 39-year-old school counselor from National City recently received a COVID-19 vaccine but said she remains cautious.
Bill Lutzius sat inside his empty Brooklyn Bar & Grill in City Heights on Tuesday, smoking a cigarette, drinking Dr Pepper and watching an old black-and-white movie through hanging plexiglass.
Refrigerator doors hung open behind the bar, revealing a few scattered cans of beer. The 63-year-old entrepreneur explained that he recently shut them off to save money on electricity.
Before restaurants were directed to close two weeks ago, save for takeout orders, Lutzius had, like so many in the hospitality business, been operating at a loss.
He had several rationales for staying open during the pandemic, despite hemorrhaging around $10,000 a month. He said he wanted to maintain his customer base and remain a presence in the neighborhood.
Diary of a recovery: A City Heights neighborhood braces for a grim winter [The San Diego Union-Tribune]
Bill Lutzius sat inside his empty Brooklyn Bar & Grill in City Heights on Tuesday, smoking a cigarette, drinking Dr Pepper and watching an old black-and-white movie through hanging plexiglass.
Refrigerator doors hung open behind the bar, revealing a few scattered cans of beer. The 63-year-old entrepreneur explained that he recently shut them off to save money on electricity when he closed.
Before restaurants were directed to close two weeks ago, save for takeout orders, Lutzius had, like so many in the hospitality business, been operating at a loss.