OB’s Winstons to Close, Rebrand and Then Re-Open

Changing Demographics in OB and Now More Competition in Night Clubs Forces Changes

George Varga at the U-T is reporting that Winstons, the historic live-music club in Ocean Beach, will be closing this upcoming weekend — only to rebrand under new ownership and then re-open sometime in the near future.

There will be a “Last Call” party, open to the public and all past and current employees of Winstons, this Saturday, Sept. 26. Winstons has been around for nearly 40 years on Bacon Street in OB. But it will reopen the next day for business as usual, Slaga said.

“It’s a misconception that we’re closing,” he stressed. “We’re going to keep the good stuff from Winstons and enhance it.”

Winstons’ co-owner Scott Slaga told the U-T:

“The live-music world in general is just a struggle now, and that’s kind of the impetus behind the changes.”

Varga reported:

Ocean Beach native Brandon Colt has been hired to assume general manager duties at the venue, which (for this week, at least) is still known as Winstons. Colt was previously the general manager of the dance club Spin in Middletown.

All these pending changes are due to a variety of factors, said Slaga, the only one of Winstons’ three original co-owners who has opted to continue. He will operate the venue with a silent partner who — together with Slaga — also co-owns the popular 710 Beach Club in Pacific Beach.

They bought out Winstons’ two other co-owners, Michael S. Stifano and Edward William “Ted” Wigler. Neither Wigler nor Stifano responded to phone messages from the Union-Tribune prior to the deadline for this article.

Some of the factors Slaga pointed to in the decision to rebrand Winstons include: an aging demographic in Ocean Beach that is less interested in nightlife; increased competition from two nearby neighborhood venues, the three-story, 660-capacity Holding Company and the 200- to 300-capacity The Harp; the increasing clout, here and across the country, of concert industry powerhouse Live Nation; and the fact that many smaller, independently owned venues have struggled to rebound since the pandemic shutdown, which saw Winstons temporarily shutter for much of 2020 and 2021.

“Ocean Beach used to have one music club, us, and now there are three,” Slaga said.

“The attendees we were going after are getting older and Ocean Beach is changing. Nightlife here is different now and I don’t think the O.B. Pier is going to reopen in our lifetimes. We were not really making money at Winstons; we were just making enough to pay the bills. O.B. is its own animal and some people are upset by the changes we are making. But we’re trying to carry on a lot of what Winstons was, and is, and trying to add new elements.”

The venue’s new name could be announced as soon as next Wednesday, Sept. 23rd, according to Slaga.

New changes outlined by Varga include:

• the addition of a full-service kitchen that will serve classic pub food;
• This results in an expansion to daytime hours of operation;
• the elimination of nightly cover charges for admission;
• the return of comedy nights; and
• the installation of enhanced new audio and lighting systems.
• there will also be a move away from national touring acts to focus on local talent — including cover bands and tribute groups — which is less costly to present at a time when touring expenses continue to soar.
• In an effort to diversify its musical offerings and attract a younger clientele, the venue will add electronica and dance-music DJ performances on Saturdays and Wednesdays, Slaga said
• One constant will be the Electric Waste Band, the award-winning Grateful Dead tribute ban.

Slaga said:

“Instead of opening at 6 or 7 p.m., we’ll be open from noon until 2 a.m., seven days a week. Laura Lazano, who is our food manager at 710 Beach Club, will be coming over to our Ocean Beach location. We’ll be keeping Tara Hilal, who has been our staff manager for at least 25 years, so there will be some continuity. And Owen Boles, who is our talent buyer at 710, will also be our talent buyer in OB.”

Varga listed the artists who have performed at Winstons over the years: Steel Pulse, Rock Hall of Famer Ike Turner, NRBQ, Los Lonely Boys, Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, rapper KRS-One and such homegrown San Diego favorites Slightly Stoopid, Karl Denson, Alfred Howard and Jose Sinatra.