The iconic Rip Tide Lounge, a fixture at 116 Pleasant St. since the post-Prohibition era, will begin a new chapter under Salem residents and local restaurateurs John and Danielle Kaetzer following the Marblehead Select Board’s approval of their liquor license transfer on Dec. 11.
The Kaetzers acquired the property and business from Mikael Vienneau for $1.5 million, with the deal expected to close in January. The purchase comes less than two years after Vienneau completed a $600,000 renovation of the historic building, which began its life as a Ford Model T dealership in 1908.
John Kaetzer brings significant restaurant experience to the venture, having previously owned Salem’s Mercy Tavern and helped launch The Howling Wolf.
“It’s a great opportunity in downtown Marblehead, and it’s a historic building,” Kaetzer said after the license approval. “We saw the opportunity operationally.”
The Kaetzers plan to close the establishment down for a month in January and reopen in early February with an innovative pricing strategy aimed at drawing crowds.
“Everything on the menu will be under $10 — food and beverage,” Kaetzer explained. “We want to get volume in and get the place packed.”
The new owners will inherit a modernized facility following Vienneau’s renovations, which included $70,000 in accessibility improvements and preservation of historic elements.
“It’s all brand new, but they kept the old bar top so it has a nice feel,” Danielle Kaetzer noted.
The couple plans to expand the venue’s entertainment offerings, focusing on live music.
“There’s not really anywhere you can get good kind of jam bands,” John Kaetzer said.
The transfer marks another chapter for the storied establishment, which was among the first local venues to receive a liquor license after Prohibition’s repeal.
