Navajo Live has been a fixture in the Lake Murray/Grossmont area for quite some time. It sits in an unassuming strip mall like so many others in San Diego, with a coffee shop, fast food, grocery store, beauty spa, and a bank. You could almost call it a dive bar with its dark retro 60s vibe of low ceilings and no windows. But it has established itself as a live music venue as well, with its modest stage and soundboard tucked away in opposite corners of the room. It doesn’t stand out as a premiere venue, but it seems like every established musician has come across that stage at some point in their career, and they always hold a soft spot for the little bar that could.
Enter Tod McGuffie, a musician and business owner who has bought Navajo Live and has a bright new vision for the venue. Tod found out that the owner was putting the establishment up for sale and decided that this would be the perfect chance to fulfill a dream.
“I’ve been a musician since I was a wee, wee, little boy and so I’ve been playing here for 25 years,” Tod explained. “And because I work, this is one of the bars where I worked. So, when it came up for sale, I said, ‘Hey, I gotta reach out to this guy because I know he wants to keep it a music venue.’ So, I was the perfect candidate for that. I’m gonna keep what’s going on, and I’m gonna add to it.”
Tod says he has always dreamed of owning his own music venue, so he is going to keep the same events that have made Navajo Live a musician’s hangout for years. But he also says he’s going to remodel the venue to shed the dive bar feel and create a more open and inviting place.
“The theme I’m going with is Irish Speakeasy – McGuffie’s – with a touch of Steampunk,” Tod added. “I’m gonna keep the karaoke, I wanna add more of the trivia-type feel, and I’m bringing in pool tables, pinball, foosball, and darts—I think we need a little bit of that for the daytime guests. And food too! I’m bringing in a convection oven, and I’ll have taco guys, food trucks, I really want to spread the wealth to the community, so however I can help these other guys is good.”
Tod says he’s going to take probably two weeks to renovate the place by raising the roof, redoing the floor and bar, and even wants to add outdoor patio features to the footprint. The intention is to create a welcoming footprint that will support not only the nightlife but daytime patronage as well. He’s decided not to rush the remodel because he doesn’t want to do a half-ass job. Instead, he aims to pull off a full opening in late March or early April.
Don’t miss out! Discover the full magazine of this issue#10!
Don’t miss out! Discover the full magazine of this issue#10!
