Detroit Bar, O.C. music hub for more than a decade, is sold; venue to reopen as a gastropub

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detroitbarsignDetroit Bar, the Costa Mesa nightclub whose hip music offerings belied its location in a nondescript strip mall, has been sold. The venue, at 843 W. 19th St., will morph into a gastropub named The Wayfarer – A House of Social Provisions under new owner Jeff Chon, who helms the Newport Beach restaurant The Alley and the Costa Mesa eatery Tabu Shabu.

The timetable for the changeover is at this point unclear; there are no shows on the Detroit Bar calendar beyond the Feb. 8 Fu Manchu concert. A full press release about the transaction is expected early next week. A public relations representative for the outgoing owners the Memphis Group says that The Wayfarer plans on “continuing Detroit Bar’s legacy of presenting live music and also serving classic pub fare with a twist on modern gastronomy.”

The venue, opened in 2001, has played a vital role in the Orange County music scene over the past decade-plus, hosting national and international touring artists as well as residencies and shows by emerging artists from southern California.

Dan Bradley, CEO of the Memphis Group, says his company will focus on its other enterprises – the Memphis, Memphis Catering & Events division and the Tin Lizzie Saloon. He adds, “We are thrilled the legacy of live music will carry on in the location.”