Sunny's Bar in Red Hook to Reopen on August 29

Beloved Red Hook dive Sunny's Bar has been closed since late October, when Hurricane Sandy's floodwaters ripped through the space. But now, the Brooklyn Paper reports that proprietors Sunny Balzano and Tone Johansen plan to reopen the bar on August 29, Sunny's 78th birthday. The tavern did not qualify for a disaster assistance loan, but Balzano and Johansen raised about $35,000 from a Kickstarter campaign last fall, plus another $20,000 from an IndieGogo campaign in the spring. Fans also donated about $12,000 to the bar at a benefit party in May. The structural damage to the basement has been repaired, now they just need to get an ice machine and re-stock the bar. Johansen tells the Brooklyn Paper: "I feel like we've been on this crazy conveyor belt and all of these hands were pulling us forward underneath."
· Sandy-blasted Sunny's Bar Will Shine Again [BP]
· All Coverage of Sunny's Bar [~ENY~]