In 1994, Mother’s Tavern opened its doors in downtown San Luis Obispo, eventually becoming a staple of the area. This week, they officially closed their doors permanently.
“I mean, that's been one of the hot spots, one of the central parts of downtown SLO for, I think, decades,” explained James Menno, General Manager of Buffalo Pub and Grill.
North County Restaurant Group owner Eric Peterson is taking over the space and turning it into Feral Kitchen and Lounge.
“I've always wanted to go down into San Luis Obispo," Peterson explained. "Then they approached us with an opportunity to do something in San Luis and we were really excited about it and wanted to jump on it.”
Feral Kitchen and Lounge will be a shake-up from its predecessor, offering a restaurant and lounge feel in the heart of the nightlife scene in San Luis Obispo with bars like Buffalo Pub, Frog and Peach and The Mark surrounding it.
“It is nice to see," said local resident Monique Stone. "Hopefully [it is] something with a new culinary experience and something a little different coming downtown.”
“Things tend to get a little stale, for lack of a better word, if there's not a whole lot of change," Menno said. "I'm actually pretty excited to see a new bar and restaurant knowing they are doing some pretty cool things up in like North County.”
The North County Restaurant Group has eight restaurants in northern San Luis Obispo County but this will be their first in San Luis Obispo. However, for Peterson, who grew up going to Mother’s as a kid and even in his early 20s, it's hard to say goodbye to an iconic spot.
“It is sad to see it go, but I think it had its run and we're really excited about bringing something, just something fresh and new to downtown,” he said.
The previous ownership, Ash Management, also closed another downtown spot, Creeky Tiki Bar and Grill, last year. However, the company maintains a strong presence in San Luis Obispo, owning Frog and Peach, Milestone Tavern and Bull’s Tavern to name a few. I tried contacting Ash Management and the owner for more information on what led to the closure but have not received a response.
According to Peterson, Feral is expected to be open by the beginning of July and will be open seven days a week.
