By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews
YACHATS – The Yachats Underground Pub & Grub, a favorite local watering hole and music venue, has closed.
The sudden and unexpected closure came the evening of Dec. 6 after a cash register malfunction led to words between a bartender and owner David Lothrop, who witnesses say berated the bartender in front of customers. The bartender quit on the spot and Lothrop closed the bar.
A sign was taped to the door saying the pub was closed for the evening, but Lothrop later announced on Facebook that he has shut it down. The Underground had eight employees.
“We found out basically on Facebook,” said bartender Pam Dahl. “I went in to get my check so I talked with him and he said, ‘Yep, I’m done,’ but everybody else found out on Facebook.”
According to property records, Lathrop’s mother Dorothy Ann Lothrop purchased the Underground from Oregon Coast Bank in June 2010 for $450,000 but the deed was passed on to David Lathrop. Dorothy Lothrop has since died.
Dahl worked at the Underground “from day one” after it opened under Lathrop’s ownership in July 2010 and described it as “everybody’s living room” in reference to the locals who meet at the pub daily, along with a contingent of local musicians who play there weekly.
“It was home to a lot of people, you know,” Dahl said.
However, customers and employees alike said Lathrop, who most often lives in the studio above the pub, often drank heavily and could be abusive toward staff. Employees said food was often not ordered and paychecks seldom arrived on time.
Lothrop could not be reached for comment, but did say publicly after the closure that he was tired of handling employees and planned to keep the pub closed and live in the studio upstairs.
The Underground offered outdoor seating, a pool room with a pinball machine and a bank of poker machines, as well as a separate attached music venue that was permitted in 2019. The pub overlooks the Yachats River and beach. The two-story building is valued at $612,350, according to Lincoln County property records.
It’s a real loss for our little town. it was an important social center ann’s gathering spot for the wonderful collection of characters that gave Yachats its own distinct flavor.
Maybe things will change?
Agreed, Joe.
“collection of characters?” Do you mean the entitled locals who came in, spent $5 for one beer, complained about the price getting raised to $6 and hung around sucking up atmosphere for three hours? The ones that glared at non-locals for daring to sit at “their” table? David is not the only bar/restaurant owner to get out of that business these days. People just still don’t get it. Management and workers everywhere are stressed and pushed to their limits. I’m surprised he didn’t close sooner. If the guy owns the property and he wants to live upstairs and let the bottom part of the building sit vacant, that’s his call. Leave him alone …
All of that is untrue. Everyone there is super nice, and nobody ever glared at anybody. I loved working there, and I’m deeply saddened by this. Right before Christmas too. He really screwed over a lot of people.
Sounds like Feral Being isn’t saying that was the employees glaring. While the owner is entitled to run the business as he pleases, he handed it very badly and really shouldn’t behave like this. But, unfortunately, he’s allowed to. I’m sorry for the employees.
I went there a few times. I guess I’ll just have to hang at the Brewery when we visit again.
My husband and I went in there one time about 4 years ago when we were out celebrating our anniversary. The reception we received was a very unwelcoming feel. We didn’t stay long and never went back.
My wife and I stopped by every time we went through Yachats and loved it! We always felt welcome and had a great time every time. After we discovered this gem we made it a point to go there every chance we got because we always had a good time. I hope that it reopens, the people and employees that we met there will always have a special spot in our memories!
I’m sad things happened as they did but perhaps someone (bonded) can reopen and lease or buy. We so enjoyed eating there.
Also it’s been a week, and nobody has received their last check. There is so many layers to how messed up this is.
Totally disagree with the post from the person who decried the local clientele. I have never frequented a bar with such a more caring bunch of locals who always had time for me and everybody. This establishment could well have been the visitor’s center. The staff are second to none. It’s just a shame that somebody has a problem and needs help.
Dave stating “ he doesn’t want to deal with employees” is sad. Employees and even customers would do the food shopping. I hope Dave sees this community does wish him well, has cherished and supported his pub, and deserve better.
Empty or abandoned, or “indefinitely closed” downtown businesses have a severe impact and many potential negative economic consequences for any city, community, and nearby properties. Especially in rural communities like ours. I really hope that Dave sees this and takes steps to re-open, if he cares about Yachats at all. If he doesn’t want to deal with running a business, maybe there is a solution. Maybe a veteran employee who has been there since day one could run the business and Dave could step away? Maybe the city could do something? The underground is a cherished cornerstone of Yachats and I think there are many of us who would step in to help keep it from becoming a sad empty shell, if the owner would partner with, rather than punish, the community and his employees.
Also…i love the staff so much, they are the best there is. I love the crowd, I love meeting visitors from all over and locals alike. No place can compare to the Underground.
I have been there over the years and found it enjoyable, I enjoyed the summer music outside as it isn’t as small. The restaurant industry is a tough industry and I am certain the “pandemic” played a huge roll in the business. It can be a struggle to find people to work and afford to pay them in this economy. Everything is much higher and workers want more wages. Give the owner a break since you are not him and look at the entire picture. So far I didn’t hear much positive support. Things are pretty hard for many, I am sure you will get your checks so in the meantime I suggest you apply for unemployment and look for another job.
I feel bad for the employees, however there are six other places that serve alcohol around here.
And only one is regularly open as a bar.
Regardless, Dave can do what he wants with his business, but he can’t do what he’s done to his employees. He can’t fire them without notice and not pay what they’re owed. They should take him to small claims court.
I hope he recovers from his meltdown, and does good by them.
Sad to hear. Loved stopping by for a burger & beer for lunch if we were down in Yachats from our base in Seal Rock, particularly if we had out-of-state friends or relatives in town. It’s not an easy business, you have to enjoy doing it if you’re going to do it at all. I owned a S.F. rock n’ roll club in the ‘70s (in the Haight-Ashbury, of all places), so I know what it’s like. IIRC, the Underground has a cash register that looks like it’s from the Gilded Age; not surprised it was perhaps ‘rustically problematic’. It could easily have been replaced with one more reliable…you want to keep your employees happy if you expect to keep things on an even keel.
In any case, the property owner could easily lease the restaurant premises to new owners and transfer the licenses if he doesn’t want the hassle of running the business himself, but still wants some steady cash flow. Maybe once things cool off, reason will prevail and a viable solution to reopen can be found.
great place, sorry to hear it is still closed, but as with all bars the clientele was not for everybody, but if you are real choosy go up the road to Salishan if it ever opens anymore…the owner did seem committed to the area with all the impromptu and planned music….and one could not complain about the view…
it was not for everybody…the drinks varied in price depending on the time of day, the bartender, the weather, the tide and all the normal stuff…sometimes the taps were down and at the end the computer did not work…but it always took my card, why? beats me…But he had a great crowd and party the nights before he closed…
saw the note and did not believe it as again the owner was into the scene, i guess, and had committed some bit of cash to the addition…and it seems to getting his stove through the local permitting process…
But I still miss Tilly the Whale, the Knoxville Cabins, the “OLD” Adobe, and when they changed the name of Deane’s Oceanfront Motel, that was a signal the “times are a changing”