Out With The Old...In With The New

“Well, there they are!” Ruby ran to meet two gentlemen who came into see her in the quiet establishment sitting in the middle (but out of site) of Woodmere’s boutique shop district, it was Thursday afternoon.

The small neighborhood bar is the long time hiding spot of hard working bookmakers and hard drinking sports fans for decades. Ruby quickly introduced me to the gentlemen who looked like they came back from a vacation in Hawaii.

The one gent, early sixties, looked like a sophisticated Red Foxx with a Hawaiian Shirt and a baseball cap. He was easy going but gave me a hard straight look of a man who knows the world, Ruby said “RJ meet Kingfish”. I said “How are you sir,” as I shook his hand which was a good hard handshake you get from old school types. “Just fine young man, just fine” said Kingfish as he eased back in his seat.

Ruby then pointed out the other gentleman who was a big guy, as I reached to shake his hand I realized he could palm a basketball or hide a softball with no problem. Ruby said “RJ, this is Smurf.” Smurf is a good 6’5” and could easily be a guard for the Giants or the Steelers (Jets like smaller faster guys like Ferguson at that position). As we all sat down Ruby had drinks materialize on the bar and she started talking.

Ruby said “Kingfish just finished dealing with Mr. E, the old haunt by CVS will be reopening under his and Smurf’s management.” I congratulated them, “good luck and I hope you have much success.” “Quite frankly, Kingfish, I thought another group of folks from the West Indies was opening up on the Corner.” Kingfish said “No, just us folks from here RJ.” Ruby said, “a lot of new bar owners are not from here.”

But it was clear that Kingfish and Smurf are locals from Lawrence and South Queens who grew up knowing the neighborhood and the people. As we talked I learned Kingfish owns other bar & grill establishments and that he is quite aware of what goes on in the Long Island/Queens bar scene. Kingfish is a Vietnam Era Army Veteran who knows his business. He knew of the recent history of the area and the shifting migration patterns of the population. Kingfish did much homework.

But what Kingfish couldn’t figure out was how Mr. E. couldn’t make a profit in that location. By that time another former bartender was sitting down along with some folks who ‘used to’ go to Mr. E’s place. Then conversation got to the legendary landmark that was the ‘Beverly’, ‘Cheers’, “The Corner Tavern” and now formerly “The Broadway Lounge.” “Mr. E never really knew how to handle the bartenders” said one patron.

“No, the problem was he wanted to handle all the bartenders” said the asian woman with a hot fine frame. I asked Kingfish, “how did you get that nickname?” Kingfish put on his glasses (now he looked like Fred Sanford but sounded like an economics professor) “I’ve been called that since I was a kid for always having a hustle, like ‘Kingfish from the Amos & Andy Show.” Smurf’s nickname was more obvious like calling a giant ‘tiny’.

We had a long conversation about how things used to be under the several owners of the Old Corner Tavern alias all else, when we hit upon how well the bartenders treated their customers when the shift change took place and Ruby’s relief showed up. It was a circus of miscue’s, mindlessness and mess ups that had Ruby come back and settle everything and everybody down before she left ‘again’.

On my way through to East Rockaway, I saw Kingfish out in front of the old corner haunt getting it ready for business again. After hearing from some former patrons and a couple of former bartenders Kingfish had two questions stirring in his head, how long would it take to get the customers to come back and is the place worth what he paid Mr. E. Time will tell. “KING SMURF” opens for business today, Sunday July 17th.

Good Luck and Fair Weather.

RJ