A longtime Ocean Springs bar thrived after Katrina, survived COVID. Why is it closing?
Since he first announced on May 4 that his Ocean Springs pub will close at the end of the month, it’s likely no man in town has been a topic of conversation more than the bar’s owner, Kris Kwitzky.
It was 15 ½ years ago, not long after Hurricane Katrina devastated the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast, when Kwitzky’s Dugout opened its doors.
The pub, which features a bar in the general shape of a home plate, built a devoted group of customers who have wandered in to watch games and shoot the bull.
When the Saints played on a Sunday afternoon, it was one of the best places to be in Jackson County. Kwitzky typically held a potluck and grilled all sorts of meats for his customers to dine on with their beer, mixed drink or wine.
For many of the bar’s biggest fans, the idea of Kwitzky’s end is tough to swallow, and that includes one tearful customer who gave the bar owner a call on a Sunday afternoon.
“He called me when I was trying to take a nap before work, which is very important for me every day,” Kwitzky said. “He was almost crying on the phone, ‘What am I supposed to do? I’m too old to find another bar.’ I said, ‘Man, do you want me to have a heart attack?’ He’s like, ‘I know, but I love all those guys.’”
Plenty of people have shared their sentiments to Kwitzky’s in recent days.
“Oh man, that’s when you start having second thoughts,” the 59-year-old Kwitzky said. “You don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings.
“I’ve been to bars around the world and I’ve never been to a bar as unique as this one. It’s the collective value of my customers. I’ve never seen it before. The people we get from out of the country, all the people that come in from out of state.”
An older crowd full of retirees usually made its way into Kwitzky’s late in the afternoon. After about 7 p.m., a younger group often gathered for drinks and to listen to live music, especially on the weekends.
The Kwitzky’s Dugout experience was reliant on what time you showed up, and the bar’s ability to draw from different segments of the community led to its success.
Why is Kwitzky’s closing?
Questions followed Kwitzky’s announcement that he would close his doors on Government Street, and the answer is not a simple one.
“Financially, the deal we made with the building’s owner is very fruitful for me,” he said. “That’s the start, but that’s not the whole thing. I’ve been very fortunate in my life, I’ve got to do a lot of things.
“There are more things I want to do. It’s time I get after it, and I have to change the style of my life in such a way that I can accomplish the other goals in my life. It’s just time. You’ve got to control what you’re doing, and I’m not interested in not being that guy.
“I do believe you can do anything you want if you set your mind to it, and it’s time I set my mind on a little bit different course.”
What’s next for Kris Kwitzky?
By the end of the year, Kwitzky plans to reopen his other business, Buzzy’s Breakfast Joint, which is also located downtown on DeSoto Street.
“I’m going to take my time,” he said. “It’ll be a little different than we had it before, with the same great food, but a little different. I think everybody will appreciate the changes.”
Kwitzky then paused briefly and a sly smile crossed his face.
“As far as my next endeavor, I’m not 100% out of the bar business,” he said.
He’s not ready to give many details on the project he’s currently working on, but he did indicate that he planned to stay in his native Ocean Springs.
“I can promise to all (of the bar’s old customers) that it will be a place they want to come to. It’ll be a little different vibe, but we’ll see,” Kwitzky said.
Ocean Springs resident Michael Foy, who stepped up to the bar at Kwitzky’s Dugout after it first opened, believes the bar’s owner isn’t out of the game just yet.
“People have accepted (the closure). It was a good run,” he said. “We liked it. Life goes on. I don’t think anybody is depressed or bemoaning the fact.
“He keeps hedging his bet. He’ll be back. He’s too young to retire.”
Along with Mosaic Restaurant & Bar, Kwitzky’s Dugout played a large role in developing a downtown night scene that’s as thriving as any on the Coast.
When the pub leaves, it may take a little bit of Government Street’s character with it.
“I’m proud of the fact that we got the ball rolling down here, proud of the progress and what we did,” Kwitzky said. “We kept it as clean as we could. We did our job, and we did it with a lot of pride.”
Kwitzky also takes some satisfaction in knowing that his bar thrived after Katrina and survived another disaster 15 years later — the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’d like to think I beat both of them.” he said.
“After Katrina, life on our Coast changed dramatically. That’s why our logo says ‘A.K.’ and not AD. Everything in our world changed,” he said. “We looked at it as a new beginning. I’m doing the same thing coming out of the pandemic. It’s a new beginning for me.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 10:00 AM.
