'Iconic’ Cadillac Bar selling variety of items in liquidation sale after announcing closure

Downtown bar is closing after 45 years due to pandemic, owner says

The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)

SAN ANTONIO – Quirky Cadillac-emblazoned signs, boozy neon signs and vintage artifacts will leave an iconic San Antonio bar for good this weekend, going to buyers interested in owning a small piece of downtown history.

After the Cadillac Bar recently announced it will close its doors after 45 years, its owner decided to put all of its assets up for sale, Debbie Guin, part-owner of Estate Sales By K&D, told KSAT.

All the items, ranging from jewelry to speakers to furniture to art, will be at a fixed price, Guin said. There’s also a huge chandelier, old sewing machine, disco balls and a fog machine — which may help explain the Cadillac Bar’s eccentricity.

“I think what makes it so unique is just that it’s been here for so long, and there are a lot of people that have visited,” she said. “It’s just iconic for San Antonio.”

Estate Sales By K&D is handling the liquidation sale, which runs from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, at the bar.

Guin said all the items, ranging from jewelry to speakers to furniture to art, will be at a fixed price.

The bar’s owner Jesus Medina said he expects “a lot” of people to attend the sale, as people have been “calling like crazy” for details.

He said he expects the neon signs, chairs and posters to be among the most popular items to sell.

In a previous interview with KSAT, Medina blamed the coronavirus crisis for having to close the business, which opened 45 years ago.

Medina took over the business in 1997, buying it from the original owner to fulfill his dream. He had started working there in 1974 as a dishwasher, waiter and bartender.

“This is my whole life. You know, it’s like you’re thinking about 45 years, it’s unbelievable,” Medina recently told KSAT 12 News. “I can’t even believe that is happening.”

He thanked those who supported him over the years, and said he hopes to revive it at another location in the future.

The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)
The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)
The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)
The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)
The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)
The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)
The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)
The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)
The Cadillac Bar will have a liquidation sale after it announced it will close its doors after 45 years. Estate Sales By K&D is holding the liquidation sale on Oct. 2-3, 2020. Image: Estate Sales By K&D (Courtesy, Estate Sales By K&D)

About the Author:

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.