How to save a dive bar
... without ruining it, according to 'Punch'
Recently, Punch wrote about Houston bar owner Bobby Huegel's approach to "saving" a couple of local dive bars. The article "How to Save a Dive Bar—Without Ruining It" explores how Heugel, known for his craft cocktail establishments, took over Catbirds and Blue Lagoon in Houston to maintain their roles as community staples.
The article is a quick read, so I recommend checking it out. But here is a quick rundown if you simply can't muster a few minutes of reading time:
Huegel's approach emphasizes:​
Preserving staff and culture: Retaining existing employees who understand and love the bar's atmosphere
Maintaining affordability: Keeping drink prices low to honor regular patrons and the bar's tradition
Respecting history: Avoiding over-modernization to retain the bar's original feel and significance
The article implies that with this strategy demonstrates that with thoughtful stewardship, dive bars can continue to serve their communities without losing their unique identities.​ But is this true?
Before diving into the topic, let's cover some bases:
I've been to Catbirds a few times, but not before the new ownership came in. Perhaps it was a dive bar in the past, but currently this is a neighborhood bar with DJ nights. Recommended if you're ever in the Montrose area of Houston.
I haven't been to Blue Lagoon, though old photos do look like it was a dive bar
Punch is using the term "dive" pretty loosely here, and Huegel acknowledged this in the article
Ok, back on track. Dive bar aficionados often have princess attitudes. By this I mean that they often get very hoity toity about what is and isn't a dive bar, what kind of crowd should be "allowed" at their local dive, how unfriendly and decrepit a bar should be before it's considered a dive, etc.
I often get the feeling they'd rather see a dive close before it has to undergo any updates or changes whatsoever. Many regulars are completely inflexible on this.
I do not feel this way. Consumer tastes have changed drastically in the past 10-20 years. I can't remember the last time a new bar opened near any major metro area without a kitchen or cocktail menu. The '80s and '90s—when a standard bar would just have Budweiser and Miller Lite on tap—are long gone. Craft beer is much more common. Most areas have banned indoor smoking. Real estate values have skyrocketed. Inflation is an issue. Times have changed.
Dive bars will continue to close and I think fewer bars will age into becoming dives. They won't disappear at once, but they'll thin out over time. So to the question at hand, can dive bars really get saved without being ruined? If the model isn’t really working, what’s there to save?
Maybe it’s a losing battle. But in my opinion, if anyone is attempting to save any of these places, even if they get cleaned up a bit in the process and become a neighborhood bar, lounge, tavern, or whatever, that's fine by me. I'll take that over a new condo being built on the site any day.