Dobbs on South closes following sexual-assault allegations

Dobbs on South has closed its doors permanently following a sexual-assault allegation earlier this year that financially devastated the business, the bar’s owner said.

The bar, located at 304 South St., closed in mid-June, owner Ron Dangler said. Its closure was officially announced on social media Tuesday in a message thanking staff members, entertainment promoters, and bands that performed at the venue.

“You mean the world to us,” the message read. “Thank you all for believing in us.”

Dobbs’ closure came about five months after a Philadelphia woman alleged that an employee at the bar plied her with drinks and sexually assaulted her after an indie rock show. That investigation is still ongoing.

The allegations resulted in a swift backlash for Dobbs on South, with dozens of bands that had been scheduled to play there canceling or relocating their shows. The response from the local music community seriously impacted the bar’s revenue, and it was not able to financially recover, Dangler said.

That issue compounded an already tenuous fiscal situation for Dobbs, which also saw a serious hit to its bottom line last summer following a mass shooting on South Street in which three people were killed, and another 11 were injured. As Dobbs was recovering from a downturn in business after the shooting, the sexual-assault allegations came.

“It was a nail in the coffin situation,” Dangler said. “We couldn’t stay ahead of everything.”

In the wake of the allegations, Dangler added, the bar lost sponsorships, bookings, and about 70% of its staff, who had to seek other work to make ends meet due to the decrease in business. As a result, the bar got behind on its overhead operating expenses, and couldn’t take in enough money to keep going. In March, Dangler listed the bar for sale, but despite a number of parties showing interest, no one ultimately bought it.

Another bar operator, whom Dangler would not name, partnered with Dobbs to manage the bar earlier this year, but the business ultimately couldn’t overcome its debts and financial issues. Then, in mid-May, a lien holder foreclosed on Dobbs’ liquor license, and it was subsequently sold off, Dangler said. After that, despite efforts to stay afloat and find a new license, it was all over.

Now, the owner of the building has taken over the property, and the bar is “completely done” at this point, Dangler said. While Dangler doesn’t plan on bringing Dobbs back, he didn’t rule out its return in somebody else’s hands.

“Who’s to say there’s not going to be another version of Dobbs down the road,” Dangler said. “The building’s turnkey — we did all the work. They just have to come in with a new license.”

It wouldn’t be the first time.

Initially opened in the 1970s as J.C. Dobbs, the bar became something of a legendary music venue in Philadelphia, hosting pre-arena shows for bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Oasis, and Green Day before they made it big. That iteration closed in 1996.

It was then sold and renamed the Pontiac Bar & Grill, which closed in 2005. That business reopened under new management in 2010, borrowing from the original name as the Legendary Dobbs, but closed in 2015.

The building sat vacant until 2021, when it reopened as Dobbs on South.

Dangler, a retired military veteran, said he wasn’t sure what was next for him. His time with Dobbs on South used up a “nest egg” he had saved, he said, and wiped him out financially. But he is trying to remain positive.

“I’m starting from ground zero and figuring out what’s next for me,” Dangler said. “I believe in karma. In the end, I think things will work out for me down the road.”