By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Blogger
When Gary Hussey walks around The Smoking Gun, a popular sports and hangout bar in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, he is greeted with smiles, hugs and conversations. To the uninitiated, it would be easy to mistake him for being a beloved customer.
But Hussey is not a customer. He is the Assistant General Manager and he is PubClub.com’s San Diego Bar Manager of the Month for October.
“I’m honored,” Hussey said.
When regulars found out about the recognition, the reaction from them was one of great appreciation.
“Love him!,” a girl messaged to PubClub.
“Gary is the man!,” @SanDiegoStreetTours posted on Instagram.
What elevated him over the top, tho, was how he led the bar’s transition to being the official game-watching bar for the San Diego Bama Fans, the Alabama alumni group. It was not an easy task because for years, Bootlegger just a few blocks away created such a stadium-like environment for Crimson Tide fans that it was known as Tuscaloosa West. Right off the bat, tho, Hussey and his team managed to replicate that setting, down to playing the Alabama verson of Dixieland Delight. As a result, hundreds of Bama fans turn out for the games. In fact, The Smoking Gun had nearly 300 people for its football debut.
Led by Hussey and excuted by his staff of bartenders, barbacks, cooks and others, it’s Rammer Jammer, Yeah Alabama and Roll Tide. Sweet Home Smoking Gun.
“We knew from a business standpoint that this would be a good decision for us,” Hussey said. “When you have something like this that arises, you don’t really waste time. Being someone who has been to Bootlegger and seen that kind of business, I knew there would be a lot of other places vying for that business. We knew that it was a matter of getting on top of the horse, flipping everything over and getting ready. As far as the little little nuances of getting the music going and everything, it wasn’t really that hard. We just had to put the pedal to the metal.”
It started with a kind of trial run during the Crimson Tide’s run to the Elite 8 in March Madness when it hosted a few Bama fans for those games. In an instant, as soon as people showed up in Alabama shirts, the bar staff without hesitation kicked in the food and drink specials that would be implemented during football season. That immediately endeared The Smoking Gun to the group.
“March Madness gave us a good base to build off of going into football season,” Hussey said.
On Sundays, The Smoking Gun is a Dallas Cowboys bar although since that team hasn’t won more than one playoff game since 2010 and this year’s team somehow managed to lose to the Chicago Bears, the atmosphere is more tame than for big Alabama games. It is also a pretty lively place after San Diego Padres games. At other times, The Smoking Gun is a popular bar and restaurant with a fun arcade in the back. Hussey is at the centerpiece of it and his smiling and friendly personality makes him like a family member to many of the bar patrons.
Hussey is a San Diego native and has been at The Smoking Gun since it opened eight years ago. One of the reasons he is so loved by customers is that he reguarly walks around the bar and talks to his customers. He calls this “table touching.”
“I’m a big fan of going out and table touching and being with one with the people,” he said. “I feel like getting out there, showing my face, talking and having conversations really kind of builds a different comradery.”
Hussey is humble enough to know that while a manager – like a football coach – sets the tone and it’s the employees who move the chains, so to speak.
“It’s a team effort, for sure,” he said. “We couldn’t do any of this that we do, from the frong of the house to the back of the house. Even our chef will come out and chat with people. It’s a machine and it has to be working together.”
And work it does, which is why Hussey is the PubClub.com San Diego Bar Manager of the Month for September.
Q&A With The Smoking Gun Manager Gary Hussey
Name: Gary Hussey
Occupation: Assistant General Manager
Bar/Restaurant: Smoking Gun, Gaslamp Quarter/East Village
Hometown: San Diego
How Long Have You Been In San Diego? Born and raised in San Diego. Hopped around the city but most of my time was in Poway.
How Long Have You Been At Smoking Gun? Since it opened eight years ago. “I was part of the orignal hire team in 2017.”
Personality: “I would say goofy. “I don’t take a lot of stuff too seriously.”
Favorite Recommended Food & Drink For Customers: The Butter Burger (called the Big Al Burger during Alabama games) and Espresso Martini
Favorite Drink To, Well, Drink: The Espresso Martini. It’s lightly sweet, its creamy and hits the mark at all times.
Things You Like To Do When Not Working: I like to paint and draw and I like to write short stories and movies. (Editor’s note: you can read one of his stories on PubClub.com about the Oregon football game experience).
Instagram: @thesmokinggunsd
PubClub.com conducts interviews with bartenders, servers and managers at bars and restaurants around San Diego. To nominate someone, send us an e-mail to: bartender@pubclub.com.
That’s a great story but hardly surprising. Definitely go in for a Bama game!
My husband and I stopped in The Smoking Gun one day we were in town. The place looked like a retro living room with an active bar. Gary came out and met us, asked what our favorite drink was and had the bartender set us up. WHAT?? We felt like we were family as soon as we walked in. We can’t wait to check out the place again during a Bama game