This column, from the weekly opinion piece MATTER OF FACT, first appeared on BrooklynReporter.com, the Home Reporter and Spectator dated July 24, 2020
Restaurants and bars are the second-largest private employer in the United States, 99 percent of which are family-owned small businesses. The coronavirus pandemic has wrought terrible hardships on the tens of thousands of establishments here in New York City, with somewhere between 10 to 20 per cent having closed their doors for good over the past four months.
When penning this column, I am loath to write about people I know or where I might raise a glass in a social setting. I always choose to dedicate this printed space to matters that are important to our community. This week, I am covering a physical space that has mattered and been important to our community, which also happens to be one of my favorite haunts for years and run by a close, personal friend.
On July 13, The Owl’s Head wine bar announced that it would be closing by the end of the month, due to COVID-19 business complications. But rather than focus on the final chapter of The Owl’s Head, now is the time to remember how it began and what it has meant to Bay Ridge for over eight years.
Opening at the end of 2011, to some, a wine bar with no televisions seemed an odd fit in the neighborhood, but The Owl’s Head quickly carved out its place and attracted loyal customers. Much of that was due to the selection of quality wine, beer, and snacks that were unique to the area, but equally as important was the communal environment everyone felt when they entered the shop on 74th Street, just off of 5th Avenue.
Since it first opened its doors, John Avelluto has been the heart of The Owl’s Head. Founder, owner, manager, bartender, waiter, emcee, John has worn every hat and the passion he has put into the bar is what has made it more than just a bar.
Born and raised in Gravesend, and a graduate of Xaverian High School and Brooklyn College, John is Brooklyn through and through. He instilled the DNA of Brooklyn into his bar, where lifelong Brooklynites like me, as well as those who have chosen to move here and make this their home, all felt equally welcome.
“…John Avelluto has been the heart of The Owl’s Head. Founder, owner, manager, bartender, waiter, emcee, John has worn every hat and the passion he has put into the bar is what has made it more than just a bar.”
Throughout the years, The Owl’s Head held wine and beer classes, and hosted holiday events for New Year’s Eve, Oktoberfest and an annual Twin Peaks-themed Halloween night.
As an artist himself, John made it a point for culture to be a mainstay at his bar. There were yearly art installations on the front facade, book launches and author talks, live music, and the Bay Ridge Poets society met on the last Sunday of every month 86 times, right up until coronavirus forced all bars to close.
When Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012, John mobilized all his resources to begin a canned food and supplies drive, and The Owl’s Head became a collection point. As a marathoner, I had used the cancelation of that year’s New York City Marathon as an opportunity to start a fundraiser for the Borough President’s relief fund.
John and I merged our efforts and on the day the marathon would have taken place, myself and a half-dozen local marathon runners ran from Bay Ridge to Broad Channel, Queens with supplies on our backs, while John led a caravan of vehicles that transported the rest of what The Owl’s Head had collected.
After The Owl’s Head raised over $1000 on a night in December, 2016 at an event for the It Gets Better Project, which provides support to LGBTQ+ youth, John began opening the bar on Mondays for LGBTQ+ Night, with a portion of revenues being donated to worthy organizations every month.
Last month, John changed the mural on the outside of the bar, as he does annually. The event was open to the community and many participated in painting Black Lives Matter on the brick wall. It was one last opportunity for The Owl’s Head to bring together art, community, and a good cause. The Owl’s Head has announced they will remain open through August, in case you want to pick up some wine and toast to them one last time.
