Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified when The Little Club opened. The story has been corrected to reflect that it was established in 1958.
Last year, a new owner purchased the building where a storied Coronado dive bar had done business for more than a half-century, prompting a buzz of speculation in the community: Would The Little Club close forever?
A few days ago, Tim Turner, one of the current owners, put a definitive – and, to some, unfortunate– end to the rumors: Over 60 years after it began, The Little Club will shut its doors on Orange Avenue for the final time at the end of March.
The upscale dive bar, already a historic icon on the island, now represents the fading of a classic Americana, an era when the bartenders knew your order and charm trumped money. As the rest of Coronado leaned into tourist-focused commercialization, The Little Club remained a defiant bastion of neighborliness.
Now, longtime patrons – sailors, retirees, neighborhood characters – are mourning the loss of a tavern as if a good friend has passed away. Gary Altstadt, a regular for over a decade, said, “This is my Cheers…” referring to the sitcom from the ’80s. “Everybody knows everyone here. It’s the worst thing that could happen to Coronado.”
Another regular, Bill Rogers, put it more succinctly: “It f*****’ sucks. It’s criminal. The other dive bars just don’t have the same charm.”
Throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, Turner spent his childhood shadowing his grandmother at the beloved saloon on the Ferry Landing side of the island. At 6 years old, when the bar opened at 6 a.m., he was already a witness to the morning rush.
“I remember going in with her while she did the books,” Turner recalls. “At 7:30 or 8:00 a.m., I’d see all these sailors lined up; in those days, they could drink in uniform before starting their shift on North Island.”
The Little Club was established in 1958. Turner’s grandmother, Barbara Roswell, bought The Little Club in 1972, a couple of years after her divorce. Then in her late 40s, Roswell hosted yearly Thanksgiving dinners for the sailors who were far from home – and anyone else who didn’t have a place to go. From then on, it was a place with serious regulars, some of whom went in every night.
Grandma Roswell died in 1999. Turner was 18, and the bar was passed down to his mother, Liz Baker, and uncle, Charles Roswell. But they had little emotional investment and, by default, let the bartenders run the show. Turner, because of his adoration for the place, eventually bought a share six years ago.
For decades, the family leased the space from building owner Virginia “Ginny” Darbin, who lived to be 100, according to Turner. After her passing, the land entered a trust which placed it on the market in February 2024, setting the current closure in motion.
But Turner says he didn’t go down without a fight. His first attempt to save the Little Club was to buy the building, but he was outbid by Juan Jose Arellano in May 2025. (Arellano did not respond to a request for comment from The Coronado News.) Turner then spent a year reaching out to see if the bar could stay, with no luck.
“Two months ago, they served us our 60 days (notice).” Turner said. “Long-term, there was never an option for us. Even a month-to-month extension would have only given us maybe six months.”
With the end certain, Turner added, “I made the decision that this is going to be our last month. This chapter is closed.”
At least for a few weeks, however, the Little Club lives on with its stained glass and low-light lamps. According to Turner, it used to actually be “little” until they expanded the back where a pool table sits. Even on a Tuesday night, the bar is lined with customers sipping beers or cocktails. Men and women are laughing, the jukebox is playing, young sailors are playing 8-ball.
You might be met with Ernie Valdez, the general manager and bartender of 35 years. Or Laurie Joyce, who some customers call a “national treasure” who has been there 25 years.
Joyce has upheld Turner’s grandma’s tradition of hosting Thanksgiving every year to over 100 people, and every Mother’s Day receives about a half-dozen bouquets of flowers from sailors.
“It’s extremely sad. We are home to the Navy, we are home to the tourists, and we are home to the locals,” she said. “I’ve met some of my best friends here.”
When asked if she will be involved if another Little Club opens, Joyce said with a laugh: “Absolutely, because I have to make sure things are getting clean.”
In fact, Turner said he’s holding out hope and looking for a new home for the bar in Coronado or Imperial Beach. “The Little Club is bigger than its location,” he said. “We want to thank the community for all the support and outpouring of love. People have come up to me crying. While this chapter is closing, hopefully there will be another.”
Late in the evening, an Irishman named Peter Smith approached a reporter like an apparition and said, “Everything has to come to an end eventually.”
“Slán go fóill,” he added, meaning “see you later” in Gaelic. Then he disappeared into a silhouette under street lamps and walked away.
