Winston's announced earlier this week that the club "as you know it" would close following a "Last Call" celebration on Saturday, September 26, before reopening with "new fire and a new name." The initial announcement left substantial uncertainty about what exactly would happen to the venue, particularly because Winston's already had concerts and recurring events scheduled well beyond the farewell party.
Now, longtime co-owner Scott Slaga has clarified that the physical club won't close at all. Winston's will hold its farewell celebration Saturday night and reopen Sunday for business as usual, with its new identity expected to be unveiled as soon as next week.
"It's a misconception that we're closing," Slaga explained. "We're going to keep the good stuff from Winstons and enhance it."
What is ending is the ownership structure and identity that have defined Winston's for decades. Slaga is the only one of the venue's three longtime owners who will remain involved, having bought out partners Michael S. Stifano and Edward William "Ted" Wigler with a silent partner who also co-owns Pacific Beach's 710 Beach Club with Slaga.
Slaga and Stifano have been partners in what is now 710 Beach Club since 1989 and purchased Winston's from original owner Bill Winston in 1998. California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control records currently identify Slaga, Stifano and Wigler as the members of Blind Winstons LLC, which holds the club's Type 48 liquor license.
The transition will bring much more than a new sign above the door. Plans call for adding a full-service kitchen serving classic pub food, allowing the business to expand from its primarily evening schedule to operating from noon until 2am, seven days a week.
Laura Lazano, food manager at 710 Beach Club, is expected to oversee the food operation in Ocean Beach. Longtime Winston's staff manager Tara Hilal, who has worked with the venue for at least 25 years, will remain, while 710 talent buyer Owen Boles will also take over booking responsibilities at the Ocean Beach club.
Ocean Beach native Brandon Colt, previously general manager of Middletown nightclub Spin, has been hired as the venue's new general manager. The club also plans to upgrade its sound and lighting systems as part of the overhaul.Perhaps the most significant change will be the way Winston's approaches live entertainment. Rather than relying as heavily on national touring acts, the rebranded venue will concentrate more on San Diego musicians, cover bands and tribute acts, while eliminating nightly admission charges.
Some of those ideas actually represent a return to Winston's roots rather than a complete reinvention. Over the years, the venue has hosted not only concerts but comedy, open jams, trivia, karaoke, poetry and neighborhood gatherings, allowing the relatively small room to function as something of an Ocean Beach community living room.
The changes come as independent music venues face an increasingly difficult economic environment. Slaga said rising touring costs, changing demographics, growing competition and the lingering effects of the pandemic have all contributed to the decision to rethink the business.
"The live-music world in general is just a struggle now, and that's kind of the impetus behind the changes," Slaga told the Union-Tribune. He said Winston's had reached a point where it was essentially generating enough revenue to pay its bills rather than producing meaningful profits.
Ocean Beach itself has also changed around the club. Winston's once occupied a fairly unique position as the neighborhood's principal dedicated live-music venue, while today it competes with larger nearby venues including The Holding Company and The Harp.
"The attendees we were going after are getting older and Ocean Beach is changing," Slaga said. "Nightlife here is different now." He added that while some longtime customers are unhappy about the coming changes, the intention is to preserve much of Winston's character while adding elements intended to make the business sustainable.
The pivot comes at an especially difficult moment for San Diego's independent live-music scene. Bay Park institution Brick By Brick abruptly closed in August after operating for 31 years, underscoring the economic pressures confronting smaller venues competing for performers and audiences.
Winston's itself has already survived one existential crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2020, the club announced an indefinite shutdown because restrictions on live entertainment had made continued operations financially untenable, but the closure ultimately proved temporary and the venue eventually resumed concerts.
Its roots extend considerably further back. Winston's traces its history at 1921 Bacon Street to 1986, and state liquor-license records show a predecessor license issued in July 1987 to O B Zone Inc., whose president and stockholder was William H. Winston III.
Over the ensuing decades, the intimate club became known for an eclectic booking philosophy spanning reggae, rock, blues, punk, hip-hop, jazz, bluegrass, jam bands and other genres. Artists who have appeared there include Steel Pulse, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ike Turner, NRBQ, Los Lonely Boys, Fabulous Thunderbirds frontman Kim Wilson, rapper KRS-One and San Diego favorites including Slightly Stoopid, Karl Denson, Alfred Howard and Jose Sinatra.
Perhaps no act, however, is more intertwined with Winston's identity than Electric Waste Band. The Grateful Dead tribute group has played Monday nights at the venue for decades, turning the weekly residency into an Ocean Beach institution of its own and even counting late basketball legend and legendary Deadhead Bill Walton as an honorary member.
That tradition will survive the rebranding. Slaga confirmed Electric Waste Band will remain a Monday-night fixture, providing one of the clearest signs that the next incarnation of the club is intended to retain pieces of the Winston's culture rather than erase them.
Other familiar recurring programming is continuing through the transition as well. Winston's currently advertises its Sunday-night OBoke karaoke without a cover charge, while its calendar still reflects the mixture of recurring neighborhood programming and live music that has long characterized the venue.
The "Last Call" celebration begins at 9pm Saturday, September 26, featuring Fish & The Seaweeds and special guests. Former employees have been invited back, remaining Winston's merchandise will be sold, and longtime customers are being encouraged to take "one last shimmy on the dance floor" beneath the name that has defined the Bacon Street club for generations.
But there will be no long goodbye and no shuttered club awaiting an October resurrection. Winston's will reopen the following day, with the transition unfolding while the business remains operational and the new name potentially being announced as soon as Wednesday.
For nearly four decades, Winston's survived changing musical tastes, an evolving Ocean Beach, the pandemic and the increasingly difficult economics of operating an independent music venue. Now, rather than disappear, the club is attempting something different: retiring one of San Diego nightlife's most recognizable names while betting that enough of what made Winston's special can survive without it.
Winston's Beach Club is located at 1921 Bacon Street in Ocean Beach. The venue's "Last Call" celebration takes place Saturday, September 26 at 9pm, with additional details about its new name and rebranding expected to be announced soon.
For more information, visit winstonsob.com.
Originally published on September 21, 2026. Updated September 22, 2026, with new information regarding the ownership transition, expanded hours, kitchen, entertainment changes and future of the venue.