Dozens gather in Sacramento to pour shots and mourn owner of beloved Simon’s Bar and Cafe

Dozens of customers, family members and friends gathered outside Simon’s Bar and Cafe in downtown Sacramento on Monday night to honor the life and legacy of owner Simon Chan, who died Sunday night.

Chan, 69, died after battling COVID-19 for three months, family members said. Born in China in 1951, Chan had been running the bar on 16th Street since 1984, a watering hole popular with state workers and elected officials and known for its mixed menu of bar food and Chinese dishes.

Outside the restaurant that overcame financial struggles five years ago and has so far survived the coronavirus pandemic, about 40 people gathered to share memories and swap stories about Chan.

Stacks of flowers and cards were tucked into the door gates, while candles wrapped in red paper formed a heart on the pavement. Beside the candles sat a tall bottle of Jameson whiskey and plastic cups for people to pour shots in Chan’s memory.

Staff and customers remembered him as a larger-than-life personality with an easy warmth and infectious joy who turned his dive bar into a community institution.

“Every kind of person comes through here,” said Alice Morrow, who worked the day shift at Simon’s for 30 years. “He was like a brother to me. ... He brought the party to the party.”

Chan got his start in the restaurant industry through working at Frank Fat’s, said his son, Simon Jr. Chan opened his own bar in May 1984 when Simon Jr. was 3 years old. He started working behind the bar himself when he was barely 21, he said, and he’s stayed there ever since.

“Dad’s always been a very strong person,” Simon Jr. said.

The bar was a personal operation for Chan as much as a business. Jim Wong grew up with Simon Jr. and came to view Chan as a father figure. Chan taught him how to drink wine properly — specifically, Cabernet Sauvignon — and took him out to the casinos in Reno several times. On one of those trips, Wong won $12,000 on the VIP slot machines, after which Chan would joke that Wong was a lucky charm.

When he wasn’t working in the restaurant, Chan liked to make trips out to Las Vegas with friends, Morrow said. Once she sat in the front rows with Chan at a Cher concert, she said, and another time he got tickets to see “some singer named Steve,” Morrow recalled him saying.

“I said, ‘Stevie Wonder?’ He was like, ‘No, no, Steve something.’ I said, ‘Stevie Nicks?’ He said, ‘Oh yeah, that’s it.’ I said, ‘Simon, I’m coming with you,’” Morrow said with a laugh.

Photographs of Chan posing with state politicians who frequented the joint line the inside of the bar, as well as photos of longtime regulars. One such regular who made it to the wall was Jay De Guzman, who said he probably had his first legal drink at Simon’s 17 years ago.

De Guzman used to do shots of Tito’s vodka with Chan when he came in, he said. And when De Guzman worked at a seafood restaurant down the street, Chan would always ask him to bring some crab.

“He was really a joyful person,” De Guzman said. “He’s still probably waiting for me to deliver his crab. ... I’ll get it to him.”

Two other regulars who made it to the photo wall were Tom Tran and Michael Washington, who had been coming to Simon’s for about 15 years. Tran kept coming back for the welcoming atmosphere, which he credited to Chan’s effusive personality.

“It’s an institution, an iconic place,” Washington said. “If you go out, you’d end up at Simon’s. ... Everybody can be who they want to be here.”

This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 9:47 PM.