The future of The Liberties, the Irish bar and restaurant on Guerrero Street in the Mission District, is up in the air: Its owner is facing financial headwinds and unsure he can reopen.
Owner Ian Duggan noted on Instagram on Sept. 7 that the Liberties would be closed for Labor Day but reopen on Tuesday. Instead, it has remained shuttered as Duggan works through some business challenges — most immediately a lawsuit for a $160,000 loan.
“I’m having a legal issue with some creditors who just made it difficult for me to operate,” Duggan said. “I am doing what I can to try to find a way forward for the place.”
“The place has been here for 25 years. It means a lot to me and to a lot of people,” he added. He is considering finding a new operator who can keep the business going.
“I’d love it to be me, but I care more about the place than I care about me.”
Court records show that an entity called Black Olive Capital LLC filed a lawsuit against Duggan in August in New York alleging an unpaid balance of nearly $160,000 after penalties, attorney fees and interest. Duggan said he has had trouble paying back the loan.
“When I took the money I had a plan, but it didn’t work,” said Duggan.
The Liberties first opened at 998 Guerrero St. on the corner with 22nd Street in 2002, and has been a staple in the neighborhood for nearly 25 years. It has hosted everything from bingo and trivia nights to live music and jam sessions.
In 2019, just months before the pandemic, Duggan, a neighbor and customer, took over the business.
He loved the place, the community and the neighborhood, he said, and saw the establishment diminishing. He wanted to keep it going.
Then the pandemic hit.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, the business offered $5 meals (and handed out as many as 9,000, Duggan said) to people in need. In May 2020, the business was one of eight that received a $100,000 donation from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan for being one of the couple’s favorite restaurants. Duggan said the money was used to finance the donated meals.
Still, after trying everything and putting his soul, personal savings and retirement funds into the business, the Liberties continued to struggle, Duggan said. Today, in the middle of a legal fight in a different state, the owner said he’s working hard to make sure his employees get paid for their final pay period.
“That’s what I’m working on now. In six years, everyone always got paid, through COVID, through everything, until these funds were frozen,” said Duggan.
“Their payroll funds were frozen by liens from the lender dispute. I’m paying lawyers with the last of my personal funds to get it released to them. I did my best, but it wasn’t enough to stop this.”
Though he still doesn’t have a timeline on when the business will reopen, if it does, Duggan said he’s grateful for his customers’ support, and to know they miss it.
“It’s kind of heartwarming to hear. I poured six years of my life into this place. My heart, my sweat, my savings, my retirement, to keep it open as long as I possibly could” said Duggan.
“I’m frustrated and I’m heartbroken with what’s going on. I’m trying to find a way through, but it’s difficult.”
Duggan said that anyone interested in possibly operating the business can reach him at info@theliberties.com
