GREENFIELD — After 34 years under the ownership of Bob and Denise Grazick, the Victoria Bar, which has been open since the 1930s, is now owned by Angel and Phil Simon.
Co-owner Phil Simon, who serves as program manager at the Shea Theater Arts Center and runs an entertainment booking agency Simon Says Booking, said he hopes to keep the essence of the 4 Chapman St. bar alive and not change its style too much. The most significant change thus far, Simon said, was to do away with the bar’s former cash-only business model, allowing people to pay with credit and debit cards.
“It’s a pretty big modernization. … We’ll be able to integrate everything with a slightly more modern system behind the bar,” Simon said. “Our hope is that for customers, there will be essentially no difference. It’ll be easier for them to pay, but other than that, we want it to be the same place that they’ve always loved.”
The Simons, who own a duplex on Conway Street, purchased the building at the corner of Main and Chapman streets in August for just under $500,000. In addition to the Victoria Bar and the former Bonnie B’s Country Kitchen, the building also contains five apartments above the businesses.
Simon said he purchased the building when it was up for sale as an investment, and the bar was included in the sale. The purchase of the building happened to coincide with the sale of Bonnie B’s to its new owners, Chrissy and Jason Weaver.
Upon their departure at the end of October, Bob and Denise Grazick took to social media to thank their friends, family members, patrons and staff.
“It’s been a great 34 years serving you and all the good times we have had,” the Facebook post reads. “We could not [have] stayed open without you.”
Simon noted that he and his family plan to work at the bar, which is open from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. every day except for Sundays, when it is open from noon to 1 a.m. Of the approximately 110 hours each week in which the Victoria Bar is open, Phil said he will work approximately 10 hours, Angel will work roughly 30 and his son Sam will work approximately 25.
Having worked in bar venues booking musicians and other performers in his role as program manager at the Shea Theater and as the owner of an entertainment booking company, Simon said he is “very comfortable” working in a bar environment.
When asked what the largest surprise was that he encountered as a first-time bar owner, Simon said he was amazed by the level of camaraderie among the bar patrons, and by the level of help and guidance he and his wife received from the bar’s former owners.
Simon added that before he makes any changes to the bar, he wants to ensure he can run operations as they are.
“The biggest surprise for us is the community and family of customers, regulars and new people that have this as their space — we could not have anticipated the admiration they have for each other, the love that they have for the prior owner and the willingness that they have to accept us as the new owners of the space that they love,” he said. “Our first goal is, can we do The Vic? … Our first goal is figuring out if we can do this the way that it’s always been done. If we can, then maybe one day, we’ll see where we can do our own flavors.”
