What’s New on Newport Avenue?
By Michael A. Hernandez
“Pop Punk Never Dies”. That’s the message written on the outside of the building at 5049 Newport Ave in Ocean Beach. Once home to OB’s first Japanese sushi and sake joint, Sapporo Restaurant, then later housing an outpost of Pacific Beach’s beloved dive bar and eatery, Cass Street Bar and Grill, 5049 Newport Ave is currently under new ownership, and what’s coming may be of interest to those who are anti-establishment… but pro-drinking establishment.
On February 13 of this year, a Public Notice of Application For Ownership Change was posted on the front door of the building.
The applicant’s name: “Drink 182 OB, LLC”. Marketing itself as San Diego’s Original Pop Punk Bar, Drink 182 promises to bring “a new kind of hospitality experience to Ocean Beach – built around the music, culture, and nostalgia that defined a generation”.
One of the owners of the pop-punk bar is creative director Jay NightRide. According to his profile on Linkedin, NightRide has collaborated with big names such as internationally renowned DJ and music executive Steve Aoki, motorcycle manufacturer and global lifestyle brand Harley Davidson, and legendary pop-punk band Blink-182, whose name served as the main inspiration for the name of the bar.
NightRide says as a touring musician, he always dreamed of having a place where he could socialize with others like him, while listening to music that meant something to them. Though he loved the revival scene music was experiencing in recent times, he was frequently let down when bars would play the same songs on repeat during themed “emo and pop-punk nights”.
Though he understood bars needed to do that for mass-appeal, he wanted more, and with the help of some friends in the local punk scene, Drink 182 was born, not as a place to capitalize on the moment, says Jay, but “to celebrate the history and share the passion as die hard fans and musicians alike unite to make memories”.
According to a press release from Drink 182, the venue will feature neon lighting, New England inspired-beach pizza, iconic music videos, a photo booth, and even arcade games. Additionally guests will be able to challenge their friends to classic games like beer pong, skeeball, and hot shot basketball.
By day, the bar will serve as a laid back neighborhood coffee joint, but at night the place will completely transform into a “high-energy” bar, complete with local craft beer, specialty cocktails, and mocktails for the sober-inclined. The press release ends by saying Drink 182 is set to open in July, those wanting more information are encouraged to visit the bar’s Instagram page @drink182ob or contact them via their email address info@drink-182.com.
In other news, just across the street on 5050-5055 Newport Ave stands a vacant building with a For Lease sign posted at the top. When contacted for information regarding the building, Nate Benedetto, a Principal at boutique commercial real estate brokerage, Next Wave Commercial, who put the building up for lease, said the building has been empty for several years prior to them marketing it.
5050 Newport Ave was previously the long-time home of Newport Pizza and Ale House, who had to shutter its doors in February of 2020 after it was unable to renew its lease. The building has seemingly been vacant ever since. When asked about the future of the property, Benedetto did not disclose if there were any potential renters at the moment, but did say “ideal tenants would be food and beverage based but we are open to other uses common on Newport such as fitness or retail”.
The 5050 building is only slightly less of an eyesore than it was when it was boarded up. The owners of that building appear to have the business sense of a potato.
Looking forward to a punk bar!
Ob is more of a hardcore punk town hate to break it to them. Neon pop punk? They should have done their research.