Bar Owner Kevin DeMattia
It's 2004. September 11 wasn't even three years removed yet. But Kevin DeMattia had a thing for climbing large buildings and structures, and Sutro Tower was calling his name.
In Part 1, Kevin, who co-owns Bender's Bar and Grill in the Mission and Emperor Norton's Boozeland in the Tenderloin, shares the story of conquering the 977-foot TV and radio antenna tower that has become quite the iconic symbol of San Francisco.
Kevin has bartended and barbacked at Big Heart City, the Black Cat, the Blind Tiger, and the Chi Chi Club. He eventually got introduced to Bender's in the Mission. From the first time he set foot in the bar, Kevin felt like he was home. He got a job there, and right as he felt he had hit his stride in San Francisco, Bender's burned down.
In Part 2, Kevin walks us through his jobs in the city, leading up to his eventual co-ownership of Bender's and Emperor Norton's Boozeland in the Tenderloin. In the podcast, Kevin also shares some great history behind the spot that is now Zeitgeist.
We recored this podcast at Boozeland in August 2018.
Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather
