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San Francisco (KTVU) It was the last call at Lefty O'Doul's restaurant near Union Square Wednesday night as the longtime landmark welcomed customers for a final drink and meal before it closes its doors.
Outside the restaurant, members of the Deutscher Musikverein played their hearts with the song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," an iconic ballad for an iconic restaurant that has welcomed guests at 333 Geary Street for generations.
"Great food, hot meals, good companionship, the TV's, everything. It was a family event here," said Sean Dullea, a San Francisco native.
"I been coming here since 2004 and I love this place a lot. I love the food. Good food for a good price point," said A.K. Kapoor of San Francisco who was there with a friend.
"The first day I ate here was the first day I opened the gallery. And so there's people here who are like family to me," said Rowland Weinstein, a San Francisco gallery owner who brought his son.
"I'm definitely going to miss it and it's going to be sad not having it on the block for sure," said Levin Weinstein, Fremont
"I'm going to miss the piano player and the bar and the great people that work here. And the drinks. It's some nostalgia of it all," said James Jackson of San Francisco.
The restaurant has memorabilia and reminders of the namesake, San Francisco native and major league baseball player, Frank "Lefty" O'Doul.
"He opened this place in 1958 and it's been here for almost 60 years. And it's grown and become more popular," said Tom O'Doul, Lefty O'Doul's cousin who attended the final night celebration.
Tom O'Doul says Lefty always wanted to help children and the restaurant's annual Christmas toy drive became a San Francisco tradition.
But now, the bitter dispute between Nick Bovis, whose family has operated Lefty's since 1998 and the Handlery property owners who say they own the restaurant and the memorabilia inside has sparked a legal battle. Now, Lefty's is closing.
"It's home. It's home for so many people that come in here. The regulars that come in here daily. The foreigners who come in here from our of town," Tom O'Doul said.
"I've been coming in for coffee every single morning for 18 years. Made a lot of friends," said Katie Johnston, a Point Richmond resident who works in Union Square.
"It's going to be a lot of tears. It's been a lot of tears over the last two weeks. It's a very sad moment," said Darlene Sularski, a Lefty O'Doul's bartender.
"His spirit is what this restaurant's about. It's not the building, It's not the things," said Bovis.
Bovis says he hopes to reopen a few blocks away by next year. A court date is scheduled for February 15th.