Goleta’s Mercury Lounge is closing its doors for good at the end of March.
Owners Jennifer and Patrick Housh made the announcement on social media Tuesday.
“I have been dreading this post, but I can’t hold off any longer,” they wrote. “As of March 31, 2021, Mercury Lounge will be permanently closed.”
It’s Goleta’s oldest bar, at 5871 Hollister Ave., and has been operating continuously as a bar since 1957, when it was formed as Gus’s Cocktail Lounge. It became the Mercury Lounge in 1995.
Like many bars, the business struggled to survive amid the COVID-19 pandemic and state-mandated closures. The bar shut down at the beginning of the pandemic a year ago, and then briefly re-opened in October, before closing again in December.
Jennifer Housh told Noozhawk Tuesday night that “We had to sell, no way to get out from under the financial impact of COVID.
The place has long been popular with UC Santa Barbara professors, graduate students, Goleta tech company employees and Old Town Goleta neighborhood residents.
“Thank you to Dawn O’Brien and every single one of the bartenders, patrons, bands, artists and community members that helped Mercury Lounge make it for 25 years,” the social media post states. “It was an absolute pleasure taking over for the brief time that we did and I will always treasure the memories we made.”
The Houshes purchased the bar a few years ago. They dressed it up, gave it a more retro vibe. They also increased their beer selection, added wines and expanded the live music performances.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they had booked musicians from New York and around the country.
During the shutdown, the owners purchased supplies from Hayward Lumber and built a patio.
Commenters flooded the bar’s social media after news of the closure.
“I’m sorry to hear this Jen and Pat,” wrote Chris Story. “I know you guys tried your best to keep it going. I was able to get out there a couple times last year with the parking lot set up, so I’m glad for that. No other establishment can replace The Merc. This is a piece of Americana.”
Goleta City Councilman James Kyriaco told Noozhawk that it will be a loss to the community.
“The Merc was a lot like Old Town; funky, fun and unpretentious,” Kyriaco said. “It was a great place to hear a live band, try a new beer, meet old friends, or make new ones. It will be missed, but not forgotten.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
