South Pasadena : Restaurant to Be Replaced

Gus’s Bar-B-Q, a South Pasadena landmark in a 1922 building that was closed after the Oct. 1, 1987, earthquake, will be demolished and replaced by a new building of a similar design at the same site at 800 S. Fair Oaks Ave.

Owners Peter Tripodes and Dino Lappas said the new restaurant will resemble the old one as much as possible, using much of the original wood and glass paneling and solid mahogany booths. It will stay the same size, seating about 50. The design calls for a window that looks onto the street and a neon sign on the building’s face, reminiscent of the original restaurant that opened in 1946.

The owners said that several inspections by engineers concluded that the unreinforced brick building, severely cracked in several places by the earthquake, could not be restored. The restaurant has remained closed since the quake.

The owners said demolition is expected to begin in September, and the restaurant may reopen in the spring of 1989.

Lappas said zoning variances will allow the restaurant to be constructed without the setbacks that are usually required for new commercial buildings, and with the same L-shaped parking lot.