Lancers Cocktail Lounge, one of the oldest bars in San Diego that is still cash-only, is getting ready to make some changes due to a change in ownership.
The longtime neighborhood hangout, located at 4671 Park Boulevard, has been around since 1963 and has served as a staple of University Heights. Lancers underwent its first ownership change in 1978, when Marc “Bubba” Rosenberg took over from the original owners, keeping everything unchanged, including longtime staff. Now, 46 years later, the bar is getting ready to change owners again, according to San Diego Magazine. This time, Chelsea Roop, Tom Logsdon, and Lisa Johnson will take over the space starting in May 2025.
These three are no strangers to San Diego’s bar scene. Roop and Johnson have worked at Lancers for 15 years, with Logsdon joining the team in 2021. Before this, Logsdon opened The Balboa in 2015 before eventually transferring ownership. Now, the three are ready to take the business to the next level by owning it, calling this a “preservation project.”
Customers will slowly notice a few changes when the new ownership takes over. Most notably, the establishment will begin accepting credit cards, citing the lack of customers carrying cash nowadays. Changes that will occur over time include a new carpet, the addition of cans to the longtime bottle-only list, and some non-alcoholic options. The new ownership team says they are just there to ensure Lancers keeps going and stays what it is.
