Today, 2:30 PM. With the gates up, the secret of Pioneer Bar is revealed.
Today, on this fine day that we're live from Red Hook, the gates at Pioneer Bar were up for the first time in months—and under those gates lay the deep dark secret of why Pioneer Bar closed abruptly in late June. Now, at that time we noted, via blogger Callalillie, that the gates of the bar had been down for weeks and the bar's future was uncertain, likely bleak. Further details were not known, but in the months since, various rumors have circulated about a change in ownership. Yet, through it all, there was no answer to the why of why one of the most popular bars in the Hook had shuttered. Today, friends, we bring you the dirty little secret of Pioneer Bar: On June 20, 2007, it was shut down by the Department of Health (above). A bit of additional digging reveals that it was shuttered when it scored a whopping 105 points with the DOH. So, there it is.
This one is hard to swallow, to be sure. But worry not, friends, in chapter two of today's coverage of Pioneer Bar, up next, we meet the new owners, find out that they're lovely, and get the scoop on what is to be of this local treasure (hint: the horseshoes are safe).
· The Shutter: Pioneer Bar [~E~]
· Pioneer Bar, 105 Points [NYCDOH]