The bar previously known as Mother's Saloon was seriously damaged by fire last night in San Diego's Ocean Beach.
A fire was reported at approximately 9:30 pm on Friday, January 22, at Northside Tavern, formerly Mother’s Saloon, at the corner of Bacon and Lotus Streets in Ocean Beach. Officials believe that the fire began in the attic of the building and were mostly contained to the roof area. Flames were under control by 10:10 pm, according to reports. The cause and origin of the second-alarm fire remains under investigation. While fire crews were battling the flames, a man on a beach cruiser stole a bag with more than $1,000 in equipment from one of the fire trucks. Anyone with information about the man’s identity is asked to report to the San Diego Police by calling 619.531.2000.
"Our first concern was the safety of our staff and neighbors," posted Northside Shack owners to the company's social media. "No was was injured, the fire has been contained and we are on standby for our next step forward. Thank you to everyone who has reached out, we appreciate your continued support and will update you as soon as possible."
Original founders Colin and Shelby Wickersheim ended their tenure as owners of Mother's Saloon last May after being unable to reach an arrangement with the buildings landlords. Most feared the Ocean Beach pub was finished, but in came Sabrina Sutphin, Jason Micozzi and Tom North. Sutphin has been living in Ocean Beach for nearly two decades and worked at nearby Lucy's Tavern for 16 years. Micozzi is also a Lucy's alum of almost 10 years and also worked at Tilted Stick. Tom North was long a bartender at Lamplighter and was the San Diego CityBeat bartender of the year in 2006. The new ownership team changed the name of the sports bar to Northside Tavern last summer.
Original founders Colin and Shelby Wickersheim ended their tenure as owners of Mother's Saloon last May after being unable to reach an arrangement with the buildings landlords. Most feared the Ocean Beach pub was finished, but in came Sabrina Sutphin, Jason Micozzi and Tom North. Sutphin has been living in Ocean Beach for nearly two decades and worked at nearby Lucy's Tavern for 16 years. Micozzi is also a Lucy's alum of almost 10 years and also worked at Tilted Stick. Tom North was long a bartender at Lamplighter and was the San Diego CityBeat bartender of the year in 2006. The new ownership team changed the name of the sports bar to Northside Tavern last summer.
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help the Northside Tavern team rebuild the bar & restaurant.
The fire is out. However, while @SDFD was working hard at keeping everyone safe, this man entered one of their fire engines and took a bag from the fire engine. The value of the equipment is in excess of $1,000. If you recognize this person please call us (619)531-2000. https://t.co/5Ak0NP0RQl pic.twitter.com/sHRepr4lk2
— San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) January 23, 2021
