Fans of San Antonio's Broadway 5050 worry about bar's fate as building goes up for sale

Broadway 5050 Burgers & Cocktails has been a San Antonio staple since 1935. Now, some fret that the fate of the Alamo Heights fixture is in jeopardy since its building was recently listed for sale.

The property, located on a coveted corner lot at 5050 Broadway — hence the bar's name — has been owned by the Montanio family for more than 90 years, according to a KSAT report. For the first time since the 1950s, the family is looking to sell the structure as well as two adjacent  properties at 5054 Broadway and 102 Barilla Place.

The future buyer has the option of keeping Broadway 5050 as a tenant, according to the listing. However, some on social media expressed doubt and worried a sale will give developers another chance to gobble up hot properties and rent them to chains.


Listing agent Amber Dicaro-Montanio of Black Label RE Advisors, LLC — a daughter-in-law of the sellers — said she's already in discussions with a prospective buyer.  She added that the interested party will "do their best" to ensure the Broadway 5050 can remain in the building.

"It's bittersweet for sure, but the family has gone in different directions over the years, making it impossible to give the property the attention it deserves," Dicaro-Montanio said.

Dicaro-Montanio declined to say how the potential buyer will use the space, but she added that they plan to refurbish the property.

The Montanio family originally opened the Broadway 5050 as an ice cream parlor and speakeasy, according to the establishment's website. However, in recent decades it's been known for burgers, cocktails and draft beer.

Current owners P.J. and Nicole Gottsacker bought the spot roughly a decade ago from longtime owner Don Lassiter following a fire that left it shuttered for months. In 2022, the Gottsackers brought in Jeret Peña — the bar guru behind high-profile cocktail spots including the Brooklynite and Three Star Bar — to lead a facelift and menu revamp.