Paul Dubeck, owner of the Upland-based eponymous pizza and pub joint, Paulie’s, will be bringing his brand to Huntington Beach, in the former home of Ohana Kitchen and Cocktails at 16821 Pacific Coast Hwy, beginning with a soft opening this weekend, which will make way for a revamp of the interior while Dubeck hires and trains more staff.
“I’m really excited to be down here. I’ve always wanted a place by the beach, and literally, we’re backed up to the beach right here, it’s really nice,” Dubeck tells What Now Orange County. “And the community so far – they’ve seen me here, and they’ve stopped and talked to me, and everyone seems very welcoming, and that’s great.”
Despite only getting the keys on July 1, Dubeck says he wants to “get his feet wet” with a soft opening this weekend, beginning Friday at 4:00 pm, but adds that it won’t be “crazy” – just an opportunity to begin training some of the staff he has.
“We’re still going to be changing the interior of this place,” says Dubeck. “It has industrial lighting, it has a copper-top bar, and all the stuff that we have at our Paulie’s out in Upland.” However, the space currently has a “surfer feel,” which Dubeck plans on transforming into more of a “speakeasy feel, [and] more of a gangster kind of thing.”
Having spent the last seven years in downtown Upland, Dubeck has established himself as something of a legend in the area, garnering a devout following who flock to his bar for its scratch kitchen that doles out sandwiches, pizzas, and pasta, as well as its approachable neighborhood feel.
“It’s just a really fun atmosphere,” says Dubeck. “We’re gonna have live music, we’re going to have comedy shows, karaoke, trivia night, we’re going to have the NFL Sunday Ticket,” the last of which features an all-you-can-eat menudo and pozole promotion.
“It’s gonna be a fun place,” says Dubeck.
