Downtown SLO restaurant and bar closes after 30 years — but it won’t be empty for long
After 30 years in downtown San Luis Obispo, Mother’s Tavern is no more — but never fear, a new restaurant and lounge is already set to take its place.
Mother’s Tavern abruptly closed over the weekend, putting paper up in the windows of the 725 Higuera St. business.
No signs were posted on the building notifying customers of what was happening with the establishment, and the business’ website and social media were no longer active as of Monday. Meanwhile, customers reported the business as closed on Yelp.
So what happened?
Owner Eric Peterson said it’s all a part of a transformation taking place at the popular downtown spot.
Founded in 1994, the longtime downtown establishment switched hands last year from San Luis Obispo County restaurateur Bill Hales and his Ash Management group to Peterson.
What is that in SLO County?
Ever wonder what that construction is in your town or what happened to that local business? We’re finding out the answers. Send us your questions and tips by emailing reporter Kaytlyn Leslie at kleslie@thetribunenews.com.
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Peterson is the owner of the North County Restaurant Group, which owns eateries such as Touch of Paso Cafe in Paso Robles, Jack’s Bar and Grill in Templeton and Barley and Boar in Atascadero.
“It’s a great location and cool opportunity down there,” Peterson told The Tribune on Monday. “We’ve done a lot in the North County, and I think we wanted to eventually try to do something in San Luis.”
When he bought the business, Peterson said it was with the understanding that it was in need of a major overhaul.
Enter Feral Kitchen and Lounge.
“We’re sad to see Mother’s go,” Peterson said. “I grew up going to that bar when I was at Cuesta and Cal Poly. So it was kind of bittersweet and sad, but Mother’s had kind of developed not the greatest reputation. So we just thought, we just want to do a new concept.”
The new business will feature an expanded and heightened restaurant menu of everything from shareable appetizers and birria tacos to steak tartare and homemade pastas, Peterson said.
He said the plan was for Feral to be open seven days a week, offering happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m., dinner service from 5 to 10 p.m. and then a lounge space until 1 a.m.
It will also notably do away with the nightclub aspect of Mother’s Tavern and instead offer a more relaxed vibe with old books filling shelves, custom furniture and “quirky” art from local artists.
“There’s so many fun places in SLO, like you’ve got Buffalo and The Mark and Frog and Peach, that kind of stuff,” he said. “And so we wanted something that was more of a kind of a nicer lounge feel, but still fun and relaxed.”
Peterson said work is underway right now to transform the space into Feral Kitchen and Lounge, and he anticipates being able to open under the new name July 1.
