Part Time Lover Japanese-Inspired Listening Bar & Record Store Unveils In San Diego's North Park

June 7, 2022

Consortium Holdings Hospitality Group (Born & Raised, Raised By Wolves) has finally opened the doors to Part Time Lover, a Japanese-inspired listening bar and record store sited in the space that long housed Bar Pink in San Diego's North Park

Bar Pink was a North Park dive bar destination known for live music and stiff drinks during its 13 year tenure before shuttering amid the coronavirus pandemic. In late 2020, the property was taken over by Arsalun Tafazoli, founder of local restaurant group Consortium Holdings, which operates such notable area cocktail destinations as Polite Provisions, Noble Experiment, Raised By Wolves, and Craft & Commerce, to name a few. Expanding his presence in San Diego's North Park, Tafazoli will launch his new Part Time Lover concept this spring and later this year will be opening a new restaurant and bar dubbed Leila, located a short distance from the former Bar Pink at 3956 30th Street.

Grand opening on June 8, Part Time Lover is a Japanese-style listening bar with a back record shop from San Diego's historic Folk Arts Rare Records, one of California's oldest music stores opened by local music legend Lou Curtiss in North Park in 1967. Expect a menu of Japanese highball cocktails, coffee drinks and pastries, as well as full-album vinyl music played from a high-fidelity sound system. The concept of listening bars started in Tokyo, where venues with unique sound systems offer guests an opportunity to actually "listen" to music. Part Time Lover embraces the concept with its custom hi-fi sound system from the Chicago-based Uncanned Music that will play recordings of live music, custom soundtracks, DJ sets, and even allow patrons to play their own albums. Former Bar Pink managing partner Dang Nguyen is staying on board to assist with the launch of Part Time Lover, and the company is working with Casbah owner Tim Mays who will help sign on musicians to spin on special nights. 

The interior ambiance at Part Time Lover offers a similar look and feel as the downstairs bar at Consortium's Little Italy steakhouse Born & Raised, with some Japanese-inspired flair and architecture cues taken from the late-great American architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright. The bar and table lamps were actually custom made by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The walls leading to the bathrooms are covered in pink elephant wall paper as a tribute to Bar Pink, and the bathrooms themselves were left as is as an added homage to the history of the former San Diego dive bar. 

Part Time Lover grand opens on June 8 at 3829 30th Street, Suite 3609, in San Diego's North Park. For more information, visit parttimeloverhifi.com.