The Liberties, the Irish bar and restaurant on the corner of Guerrero and 22nd streets, has been dark since early September, and its owner says he does not know whether it will open again.

What happened

Owner Ian Duggan posted on Instagram on Sept. 7 that the bar would close for Labor Day and reopen that Tuesday, Mission Local reported. It never did. Duggan told the outlet he is dealing with "a legal issue with some creditors" that has made it hard to keep operating.

Court records cited by Mission Local show that Black Olive Capital LLC sued Duggan in New York in August, claiming an unpaid balance of nearly $160,000 once penalties, attorney fees and interest are included. Hoodline reported the suit was filed in Erie County. "When I took the money, I had a plan, but it didn't work," Duggan told Mission Local.

Workers' final paychecks

Duggan said liens tied to the dispute froze the bar's payroll funds, so staff have not yet received pay for their last pay period. He said he is paying lawyers with the last of his personal savings to get that money released. "In six years, everyone always got paid, through COVID, through everything, until these funds were frozen," he said.

A neighborhood fixture

The Liberties opened at 998 Guerrero St. in 2002, according to Mission Local, though Hoodline notes the bar's own website says 2000. It became known for bingo and trivia nights, live music and jam sessions. Duggan, a longtime customer, took it over in 2019, just months before the pandemic.

During the COVID lockdown, the bar sold $5 meals and handed out as many as 9,000 of them, Duggan said. In May 2020 it was one of eight Bay Area restaurants that received a $100,000 donation from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, money Duggan said paid for the discounted meals.

What's next

There is no reopening date. Duggan said he is open to handing the business to a new operator if that keeps it going. "I'd love it to be me, but I care more about the place than I care about me," he told Mission Local. He said anyone interested can reach him at [email protected].

The closure joins a string of San Francisco bar and restaurant shutdowns tied to rising costs, Hoodline noted.