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A longtime Palo Alto sports bar has been reborn.
The Old Pro, a community watering hole since 1964, shuttered in 2022, citing rising rent, food and labor costs paired with declining business. But on Monday, it reopened with a new look, menu and mascot (and even a podcasting studio), while still paying homage to its predecessor.
Rebranded as The Pro, the new sports bar and restaurant offers elevated bar food and twists on classic cocktails from the culinary and bar team behind Zola + BarZola, as well as a selection of local beers and a curated wine program.
“The main goal is to just create an environment for the community to feel like they have their local watering hole back, a place to gather after a game or for a game and hang out with our friends and just have a safe space,” said Nicholas DeLuca, general manager of The Pro.
The space is laden with Stanford athletic memorabilia, symbolizing The Pro’s strong ties with the university. Andrew Luck, a former NFL quarterback and Stanford alumnus, is one of The Pro’s main investors, and there’s even a seasonally rotating Luck Margarita on tap, currently in its hibiscus rendition.
“We really want to partner with Stanford and make sure that it’s a space for their students to come in and be able to hang out in a local environment,” DeLuca said.
While Bucky the Bull has been benched (it’s now perched high above as decor), new mascot Clark the Zebra can be found decorating the pages of The Pro’s menu. DeLuca said the team picked a zebra in reference to a referee running down the field, representing good sportsmanship.
Zola executive chef Ben Robin developed The Pro’s food menu. DeLuca’s top two picks are The Pro burger, featuring an 8-ounce wagyu chuck patty, bearnaise aioli, smoked cheddar, bourbon bacon-onion jam and a towering pile of crispy onions on a brioche bun ($26), as well as the braised short rib poutine, made with sidewinder fries, which are shaped like a twisted “S” curve and yield a hybrid wedge and curly fry texture ($18).
“The chef has worked really hard to make sure that although the dishes on the menu sound and feel like anything you would get at a normal sports bar, there’s so much elevation and special touches on each item,” DeLuca said.
A kids’ menu is also available, giving little ones the option to choose between a hot dog, burger, grilled cheese, chicken fingers or pasta ($15), as well as providing entertainment in the form of a word search and mazes.
While BarZola’s head bartender AJ San Gabriel also curated The Pro’s bar program, he took a slightly different approach, focusing more on elevating classics than inventing complicated, higher-end drinks ($17). For example, instead of topping its Cosmopolitans with a flamed orange peel, The Pro tops the cocktail with a smoke bubble that when popped gives a similar sensation. Its filthy martini features olive juice that’s undergone spherification that guests then pop and stir.
Four popular cocktails are available on tap for faster service. Besides the Luck Margarita, expect a nitro espresso martini, Hugo spritz and an old fashioned, made with bottled-in-bond bourbon. A nonalcoholic cocktail program is in the works.
The beer program emphasizes local, California craft beer – you won’t find Coors or Bud Light here. Expect a Belgian dubbel from Laughing Monk Brewing and a West Coast IPA from Humble Sea, among other local options ($6-$12).
For wine lovers, Sauvignon Blanc and rosé are on tap, as well as a selection of wines by the glass ($14-$19). For those looking for a higher-end experience, wines by the bottle can also be brought in from BarZola.
Happy hour is daily from 3-5 p.m. and includes discounted cocktails, beer and wine ($6-$14), snacks ($8-$24) and sundaes ($8).
At the center of The Pro is a large circular bar, dividing the space into a 77-seat restaurant on the left and a 40-seat bar on the right. After 10 p.m., the bar is for those 21 and over only. Green accents represent football and soccer fields, communal benches featuring stitched brown leather are reminiscent of footballs and 21 televisions are hung around the space.
“We wanted the new elegance of the restaurant, and then to kind of tone it down with some vintage pieces, so it didn’t feel too new or fabricated,” DeLuca said.
At the back of the bar area is a lit “On Air” sign and a recording booth, which doubles as a podcasting studio during the day and a DJ booth at night. The Pro is in the process of creating its own podcast, discussing topics such as how to open and manage a restaurant. The Pro hopes to host podcasting events, as the space is outfitted with the ability to livestream its podcasting booth to the TVs. For those looking to use the recording booth, DeLuca recommends emailing info@thepropaloalto.com.
“We want to open it up to anybody who has a voice and who wants to just share their message,” he said.
The Pro is hosting a ticketed event for the Super Bowl. General admission is standing room only and includes a drink voucher ($76.50). Large-group communal table packages with food and a take-home pint glass are also available.
“We’re hoping that The Old Pro clientele comes in, and when they come in, a measure of success for us will instead of them thinking, ‘Oh, I miss The Old Pro,’ they’re thinking about ‘Now I have this new place to (make new) memories,’” DeLuca said.
The Pro, 541 Ramona St., Palo Alto; 650-521-0651, Instagram: @thepropaloalto. Open Monday and Tuesday from 3 p.m. to midnight, Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight.
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