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Revelers outside Kadan - Photo courtesy kadanclub.com
Normal Heights is about to lose a popular haunt for underground dance music and late-night chess. After 10 years in business, Kadan Club will close its doors for good on Wednesday, Aug. 22.
Chris Heaney, Kadan's owner, says he sold the bar's liquor license to the owners of Downtown eatery Neighborhood. The new owners have taken over the license under the business name Dog & Pony Inc., according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Neighborhood owner Arsulan Tafazoli could not be reached for comment, but Heaney says the plan is to build a new establishment in the building Kadan sits in, which also houses a laundromat, liquor store and taco shop. (The Reader first broke the news.)
Heaney's been expecting to move for a while. About a year and a half ago, the property's original owner went bankrupt and a new development company brought the property out of foreclosure, he says. The new owners told Heaney they wanted to do something different and declined to extend his lease.
"They want do to something a little more high-end," he says. "I just don't have the kind of money to put into what they're looking to do in there."
For years, Kadan has been known for its free shows, quality chessboards and colorful patrons. To bid farewell, DJs Lee Reynolds, Mark E Quark and Dazzla will put on a special, black-attire installment of their "Moonshake" dance-music series on Friday, Aug. 17.
This isn't the end for Heaney, though. He's scouting new locations to reopen Kadan, and he also recently opened a bar in La Mesa called The Rook, located at 7745 University Ave. Still, he says he's heartbroken to see Kadan close.
"I put my heart into that place," he says. "You know the saying—don't get emotionally attached to your business. But how can you not?”
Chris Heaney, Kadan's owner, says he sold the bar's liquor license to the owners of Downtown eatery Neighborhood. The new owners have taken over the license under the business name Dog & Pony Inc., according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Neighborhood owner Arsulan Tafazoli could not be reached for comment, but Heaney says the plan is to build a new establishment in the building Kadan sits in, which also houses a laundromat, liquor store and taco shop. (The Reader first broke the news.)
Heaney's been expecting to move for a while. About a year and a half ago, the property's original owner went bankrupt and a new development company brought the property out of foreclosure, he says. The new owners told Heaney they wanted to do something different and declined to extend his lease.
"They want do to something a little more high-end," he says. "I just don't have the kind of money to put into what they're looking to do in there."
For years, Kadan has been known for its free shows, quality chessboards and colorful patrons. To bid farewell, DJs Lee Reynolds, Mark E Quark and Dazzla will put on a special, black-attire installment of their "Moonshake" dance-music series on Friday, Aug. 17.
This isn't the end for Heaney, though. He's scouting new locations to reopen Kadan, and he also recently opened a bar in La Mesa called The Rook, located at 7745 University Ave. Still, he says he's heartbroken to see Kadan close.
"I put my heart into that place," he says. "You know the saying—don't get emotionally attached to your business. But how can you not?”
