-September 2,2022-
Around Los Osos
Baywood’s famed ‘dive bar’ the Merrimaker, has a new owner with a new plan to open a beer garden venue to add to its friendly neighborhood bar atmosphere inside.
The owner is a familiar name in these parts. Jennifer Dorn has purchased the landmark corner bar and about an acre of land with it from the Lee family and opened the doors quietly on August 19. The property extends along Santa Maria from 2nd St to 1st St.
Trained in the culinary arts with a degree, Jennifer suggests we might expect there will be food being made here once a full kitchen is added, now underway in the two-story apartment building in the back. No doubt, fish, synonymous with the Dorn family name, will be on the menu.
Make Merry inside or out
For now the big change at the Merrimaker is the addition of a sprawling fully-landscaped beer garden with an outdoor entrance behind the bar that will be available once the liquor license is fully in place. This will add to the trend in this little village to feature outdoor hangouts for food and drink customers that draw crowds in laid-back Baywood.
And music will be part of the scene too including this Labor Day Saturday when Beverage Control will allow Jennifer to hold a special event in the beer garden including a band starting this Saturday at 3 PM.
The Dorn family is well known with flagship restaurant Dorn’s Breakers seafood in Morro Bay run by Jennifer’s brother Chris as well as Ducky’s in Morro Bay and Mersea’s in Port San Luis.
Already completed from the old days is the remodel of the bar itself, both the exterior and interior carried out by former owner Bill Lee. Lee purchased the tavern in 2019 but passed away in 2021. He also landscaped the big yard in back and fenced it off, setting the table now for Jennifer to offer merriment both inside and out.
The new hours at Merrimaker are Monday 2-10, closed Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday Friday 4-11, Saturday Sunday 10am-11pm.The place is located 1301 2nd St. Los Osos, CA 93402 in the village of Baywood.