Oakland Dive Bar Smitty’s Cocktails Will Reopen After Sitting Dark Since March 2020 | Eater SF

"Since the COVID-induced shutdowns of March 2020, I've watched Smitty’s Cocktails in Oakland sit empty and dark, gathering dust; the bar—open since at least the 1940s and one of Oakland’s oldest dives at 3339 Grand Avenue—was shuttered by owner Byron Schostag. Now a duo of experienced bar owners, JJ Jenkins and Shari Murphy, plan to reopen it with a slightly different name, Smitty’s Lounge, and they say they intend to preserve the bar’s history with no fancy updates to the space or menu. Jenkins, described as a “dive bar preservationist,” also owns Merchant’s Saloon and Baggy’s by the Lake, and the pair hope to reopen by next year, according to the San Francisco Chronicle." - Lauren Saria