“There have been lots of people who hated us, who thought we’d destroyed their favourite factor on the earth,” Kevin Diedrich, working associate/bartender of Pacific Cocktail Haven, shared in our January/February 2026 situation. When Diedrich and his enterprise companions Andy Chun and Jan Wiginton took over Duggan McDonnell’s San Francisco pisco bar, Cantina, in 2015, they confronted lots of skepticism from devoted regulars. Quick-forward a decade, and Pacific Cocktail Haven shouldn’t be solely beloved by the locals however the world, having been named Greatest American Cocktail Bar within the 2020 Spirited Awards and positioned No. 88 on the World’s Greatest Bars checklist in 2023. PCH and Diedrich have additionally collected a number of James Beard nominations, together with one for 2026 James Beard semifinalist for Excellent Skilled in Cocktail Service.
How did all of it begin? Diedrich shares the bar’s journey from a pop-up to one of many world’s greatest bars.
This has been edited for house, readability, and context.
Kevin Diedrich:
In 2015, my monitor report of opening locations after which closing—actually, getting bought by lodge teams—was fairly excessive, so I used to be a bit overwhelmed up. My spouse and I talked, “Ought to we take this as an indication it’s time to go away San Francisco?” Then Andy and Jan, now my companions, approached me about Cantina, which—together with bars like Rye, Alembic, and Bourbon and Department—was on the forefront of every little thing that was occurring in San Francisco. So I used to be inquisitive about what they’re going to do with it. They mentioned, “We’re seeking to purchase the entire Cantina house, and we’re on the lookout for a bar supervisor.” However I used to be, like, “I don’t need to handle something anymore. I’m able to personal one thing.” I used to be uninterested in doing it for different individuals, and this was my alternative to do it for myself and to see if that is one thing I can do.
Cantina was such a legacy enterprise—but it surely was another person’s enterprise. I didn’t need to do this legacy an injustice by simply retaining it and working it as Cantina.
Successful Over the Regulars
There’s a moniker within the trade referred to as “turnkey,” which is a bar you may stroll into and begin working. So we referred to as it “Turnkey at Cantina.” We’re making an attempt to carry on to the title for a bit bit simply to have one thing acquainted for people who find themselves coming in. I requested Duggan if it was okay if we saved two of the most well-liked Cantina cocktails on the menu—the Laughing Buddha and the Pisco Punch—as a result of we wished to maintain one thing acquainted.
There was lots of angst and hate towards us as a result of individuals thought we’d simply closed anyone’s bar and acquired this particular person out. Lots of people yelled at me and referred to as me names. However we would have liked to fulfill everybody the place they had been at. And it was lots of being understanding and empathetic and making an attempt to get them within the door. We’ve had regulars who’ve been coming to see us for 10 years due to that.
Uncovering the Previous
As a result of we didn’t have some huge cash, I did lots of the demo myself. The staff would shut up, go residence, and I’d begin demoing contained in the bar—take the partitions down, furnishings out. The subsequent day the staff would present up round midday and assist me clear up. We’d prep and arrange the bar, and we’d function once more. It practically killed me. The bar staff that was with me—Francis Stansky, Garrett Horn, Jarrett Hendrick, and Adrian Wong—we had been all working collectively each single day to try to open this bar and alter it in means that felt like residence for us.
I solely did little bits at a time. I used to be on the roof wanting round, and there was a skylight on the roof, but it surely didn’t undergo to the bar. So we lower out all of the drywall that was overlaying it up, and it brightened up the house. The sunshine made it a bit extra welcoming as a result of the lounge may match solely 15 to twenty individuals.
Honoring Heritage
We went via lots of completely different names and lots of logos. However as I used to be doing analysis, there was a plaque outdoors that this constructing was the primary residence of Williams Sonoma in San Francisco. I walked right down to the Williams Sonoma retailer, discovered the supervisor, and requested, “Are you aware something about this 580 Sutter Road constructing? I simply purchased the bar there.” He gave me a e book on the historical past of Williams Sonoma, and it had a very cool image of the surface facade of 580 with the Williams Sonoma emblem on it.
[Chuck Williams] determined to open Williams Sonoma on that nook as a result of he saved seeing girls going out and in of the Girls’s Membership throughout the road. He thought, “It might in all probability earn cash if I opened a kitchen store throughout the road from this.” And the emblem of Williams Sonoma was a pineapple, which is the worldwide signal of hospitality.
I all the time consider respecting our previous and respecting lots of the folks that laid the groundwork for us.
My profession has been in hospitality, working for Ritz Carltons and 4 Seasons. And I believed we must always pay tribute to what this house is by additionally utilizing the pineapple as our emblem. I all the time consider respecting our previous and the individuals who laid the groundwork for us.
The First Six Months
From December to June, we ran the bar as a pop-up as we continued to alter the cocktails and browse the regulars coming in. We’re tucked in Decrease Nob Hill, simply off Union Sq.. I wished to be a part of the neighborhood. I wished the bar to be stuffed with regulars. And once I made some cash, I put it proper again into the bar. There have been solely two wells behind that bar, and I squeezed in three. After which we put in glass chillers. Extra money and we redid your entire bar prime. Made a bit extra money and included a drink rail.
After we first took over the house, within the first three months if we did $2,000, that was a really busy night time. I used to be so scared that everybody was going to go away as a result of everybody was making perhaps $40 an evening in suggestions. I advised them, “Should you guys want to go away financially, I fully perceive.” However everybody caught in there as a result of they believed in what we had been making an attempt to construct. On the similar time, I used to be doing all of the prep within the morning—juicing, making all of the syrups, making every little thing for the menu.
Because the enterprise began earning money, I used to be capable of rent a prep particular person. What was actually cool concerning the sluggish development was we’d add one particular person and that particular person could be with us for 3 or 4 months earlier than the subsequent rent. So we had been including one particular person at a time, which allowed us to develop organically as a bar staff.
That Successful Feeling
After we first gained Greatest American Cocktail Bar, it was for 2019, but it surely was awarded in the course of the pandemic. So that they did the awards over Zoom that yr. Tales beforehand advised me that the bar had gained and that I’d gained Greatest American Bartender. I didn’t inform anyone. The award present itself was dwell. I bought the staff collectively, and so they had been going via the entire Zoom present. However then Tales texted me, “We needed to lower you guys out. We’re actually sorry. We ran out of time.” For me, I couldn’t care much less about it, however I wished the staff to get the popularity they deserved, and so they by no means bought that second. They by no means bought to go on stage. That is the staff that constructed this bar, and so they by no means bought any consideration.
We don’t have to have awards on the wall saying what we’ve accomplished, so that they sat in a field for a really very long time. I didn’t show them till we had our new house. Now they’re up by the bogs as a result of I don’t suppose awards needs to be behind the bar. It makes it really feel like that’s what’s necessary to us. If I put all our plates and all our awards behind the bar, it invokes this sense that that is about us, somewhat than the reverse the place we’re right here to care for you.
Disaster Strikes
The trajectory of the bar from 2018 to 2019 was hitting the World’s 50 Greatest checklist in 2020, the prolonged checklist. However then the pandemic occurred, after which the bar burned.
The previous house burned down on February 21, 2021. After the hearth, we needed to transfer out. The landlords saved telling us, “We’ll get you up and working very quickly.” Within the meantime, the constructing was fully devastated. There was smoke and water injury all through the constructing. There was no means we had been going to reopen in six months.
Through the pandemic, we had constructed parklets all the best way right down to 550 Sutter Road. I began a relationship with the landlords there, and I advised them what we had been on the lookout for. They usually had been, like, “You need to look inside?” It has these large, stunning black gates that open and shut. When you’re inside, it feels such as you escaped from Sutter Road. We may get some dwell crops and outdoors seating. And we made certain that when persons are inside, they’re gonna really feel protected and comfy.
Discovering a New Haven
We reopened within the new house at 550 Sutter in March 2022. Our contractor was wonderful—and we had the chance to design our house. The brand new house is totally beautiful. I wished to lean into the Pacific islands and Asian flavors by going a bit brighter. We determined to go along with brighter cherry wooden and lots of texture. The technical title for the colour of the partitions is mango. So it brings a bit bit of heat, a bit little bit of the tropics. As an alternative of banquettes going through the bar with all of the company watching everybody on the bar, we deliberately curved each seat and each little nook. So, while you sit down, you continue to really feel such as you’re a part of the bar.
Reopening within the new house was virtually like a brand-new bar opening. It gave us this new life when it comes to individuals discovering us. We did reopen PCH, however we reopened one other bar. There’s the story of PCH that was at 580 Sutter, after which there’s a narrative of PCH at 550 Sutter.
Celebrating 10 Years
We’ve by no means celebrated an anniversary. For me, we rejoice by attending to open our doorways each day and having a busy, profitable enterprise. We’re capable of do issues for our staff and for the enterprise and to do issues culturally for town. In order that’s my reward, however we’ll do a large get together.
For our tenth, I need to invite all of the folks that did pop-ups with us prior to now to come back again and do visitor shifts. I don’t need any of our previous bar workers to visitor bartend—I would like them to attend and benefit from the moments, benefit from the individuals, and revel in that they’re a part of one thing that was capable of be open for 10 years. Let’s get pleasure from as a neighborhood, as a tradition collectively.
