Business & Tech
The Office Lounge Soon to Open Under New Ownership
Those familiar with Mr. D's Cocktail Lounge in National City and On the Rocks in Chula Vista may be excited to know that the proprietor of those bars has found a new opportunity in Imperial Beach.
Chris Kapetanios may be new to owning a business in IB, but this will not be his first rodeo in terms of owning and operating a bar.
Kapetanios, who owns Mr. D’s Cocktail Lounge and Cafe la Maze Steakhouse in National City and Chula Vista-based On the Rocks said he saw purchasing on 13th Street as a good opportunity.
“The Office Lounge has been in IB for many years and it has a lot of potential,” he said, “but due to the economy it’s not doing well. Although I plan to improve it, I won’t be able to talk too much more about that until I officially take it over.”
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Kapetanios said he expects that to take place within the next few weeks once he receives final licenses from the city.
Being able to expand into Imperial Beach, he said, is something he is looking forward to.
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“I’ve been in this type of business for a number of years and IB is a nice community,” Kapetanios said.
Locals should know, he said, that just because Kapetanios owns other bars, that's not to say he intends to take a cookie-cutter approach to how envisions The Office Lounge.
“Each place I own is unique in its own way,” he said. “And when I start I try to see what’s needed in that area. I don’t open a place for what I want it to be and I don’t try to run all of my places the same because what I want to do is to fulfill a need in the community.”
What that means for IB bar goers is that the possibilities for The Office Lounge remain open.
“If we need to focus on sports, then that’s what we’ll do,” Kapetanios said. “Or if we need to focus on entertainment and bring in karaoke or DJs, then that’s what we’ll do. I’ll have a more clear picture of what it is I’ll be doing once I see what the people want and what they ask for.”
Although a grand reopening will take place at some point in the next few months, that date is yet to be determined.
“It’s going to take a couple of months to get the place ready for that,” he said. “And I don’t want to do a grand reopening until I’m ready and I think everything is up to par. Once that happens I’ll invite people to come in and have a good time. [The Office Lounge] will be a nice place for the locals to come hang out, I believe.”
