Former San Diego Hardware Co. becomes saloon

The historic San Diego Hardware Company building in the Gaslamp Quarter is almost done with its transformation into a new bar/restaurant called Lucky Bastard Saloon. According to sandiego.eater.com, the majority owner of Lucky Bastard Saloon is former Playboy Playmate-of-the-Month (December 1998) Nicole Dahm of the Dahm identical triplets.

Founded in 1892 at 658 Fifth Street, the hardware business moved to 840 Fifth Avenue in 1922, taking over a former F.W. Woolworth store. The family-owned San Diego Hardware Company remains in business, having sold the building and moved in 2006 to 5710 Kearny Villa Road in Kearny Mesa.

Lucky Bastard Saloon will take up the ground floor and basement of the building. San Diego Hardware Company co-owner Bill Haynsworth said the current owners of the building are Kevin Gates and brothers Frank and John Russo.

Publicist Audrey Doherty said they hope to do their soft opening “late this week, depending on the installation of a few final pieces of equipment.” Doherty added that a grand opening is “most likely in August.”

The last business at the location was an Italian restaurant, Cremolose, which opened January 2012 and closed March 2013. The new establishment has filed an application with Civic San Diego for a conditional use permit to allow live entertainment; approval of the permit requires a public hearing at CivicSD.

The application first goes to the Downtown Community Planning Council, which also must hold a public meeting. The planning council will then make its recommendation to CivicSD.

The planning council's 28 members include residential homeowners and tenants, commercial property owners and business people, as well as charitable, civic, and cultural groups. As for approval of entertainment, Doherty said their “fingers are crossed. These things usually take awhile.”