After 101 years of business, the Commodore Club is closing up shop and no one — not even the new owner — knows if it will reopen.
Paul Ledesma, son of Alex Ledesma who has owned and operated the Commodore Club since 1987, will be taking over for his father who is going in a nursing home.
“Trying to place him is tough...it’s been a real tough week. I made the decision Sunday night because we are struggling right now,” Paul Ledesma said.
“We are going to close down for a little bit...and I’m not sure when we are going to reopen. My Dad is sick again and I can’t run the place right now,” Ledesma said.
Along with the bar, Ledesma said he has other items of business to juggle at the moment and doesn’t have the time or energy to do it all at once, including buildings downtown.
“I just have so much going on right now that I can’t focus on that place,” he said. “There is just a lot going on right now,”
Alex Ledesma bought the Commodore Club in 1987 from his sister, Pat. The building was purchased soon afterwards. Since then, the Commodore has been home to brew, buddies and good times. 
“It’s always been open but it didn’t sell beer all the time. It’s been a restaurant forever. I’ve got a picture where they were selling rabbit...it’s been there for 101 years, whether it’s a bar or not,” Ledesma said.
Though the situation isn’t perfect, closing the bar temporarily would mean a better business model in the future, he said.
“With the economy being the way it is, we’ve got too many people working for us and restructure and do things a little different next time,” said Ledesma, who said this has been a bad year for the bar. “The best way for me to do that is to close and possibly open up again.”
“Business is slow too, so right now would be the right time to kind of regroup and go from there,” Ledesma said.
Though there are no promises if the bar will in fact see customers again.
“I really can’t make any promises. I’m not going to sit back and paint a pretty picture. This has been the toughest year we’ve had in a long time,” Ledesma said.
The last day for the Commodore Wednesday night. The bar will close at midnight, hopefully, Ledesma says, to be re-opened again.
“Wellington has been good to us and like I say, with any luck and a couple bucks, we’ll be back,” Ledesma said.