Chai Chapters

Bus Bar has closed. After all the false alarms and red herrings, Bus Bar closed its doors in the wee hours of the morning of August 29. A herd of regulars came out to exchange memories, listen to the old favorites (gangsta rap and African dance tunes), and clear out all the booze. By the end of the night, the white plastic tables were covered in empty bottles. Old patrons roamed around with pints of cocktails they mixed themselves at the completely free final blow-out. It may have been Bus Bar’s finest hour after months of tragedy.

Last year, long-time owner and bartender Sammy sold out after a disagreement over marketing strategies. Only months ago, Lao Guo, the sleepy-eyed but hyper-friendly boss, passed away unexpectedly of a brain aneuryism, leaving his wife and nephew with a long metal rectangle whose very lot was in question. Rumors abounded. Bus Bar was going to Nüren Jie. Bus Bar was going to turn into Bus Convenience Store outside the fourth ring road. Lao Guo’s family were just going to sell it off.

Nigerian Andy stepped in, and in a partnership with Quentin, Lao Guo’s nephew and the bus’ bartender, found a new site in the Nongzhanguan neighborhood out on the eastern Third Ring Road. The developers of the car-park finally stopped trying to renegotiate the compensation contract, after using strong-arm tactics such as cutting off the water and the electricity. Andy has big plans. Word on the street is that the door will move to the back of the bus and the bar will shrink. No one is sure exactly what the new bus will look like, but rest assured – it will be back. Keep an eye out around October.