The Southern Bar and Grill has been sold three times in the past six years, but this month the bar's doors closed for the last time.
And former owners Dan O'Leary and his son Corey are ''really proud'' of what has been achieved in the 25 years the bar has been in their family.
''We've been really looked after by the people in this bar,'' Mr O'Leary sen said yesterday.
''It's been a huge part of our family,'' Mr O'Leary jun added.
Both of their lives and some of their warmest memories have been intertwined with the Southern and its patrons and staff over the years.
Mr O'Leary's link with the bar began in March 1990, when he was 14, having moved south with his family from Christchurch to live at the bar.
When he left school, he also worked at the bar, becoming a manager when he was 20.
Over the years, the bar provided a great deal of fun for patrons and staff, and it became a big extended family.
The karaoke sessions were memorable, with former Wallaby rugby player Nick Farr-Jones, then a media commentator, joining in on one occasion.
Over the years, former mayor Peter Chin would drop in for a meal and a chat, and other visitors included All Blacks, Black Caps and Winston Peters.
Back in the early 1990s, the then tavern had four darts teams and four pool teams in city competitions, and there were plenty of lively activities, including organised trips to the races.
''The secret of a successful bar is making it people's meeting place, and that's what we did,'' Mr O'Leary sen said.
And the key to a lot of the fun was ''really good people'' and ''exceptionally good staff'', the two men said.
Mr O'Leary junior said stricter drink-driving laws - which he did not disagree with - and competition from supermarket liquor outlets were among the pressures faced by bars.
He sat down last Christmas and realised that although the bar was continuing to operate well, it would start to struggle in a year's time, and it was also time for a change.
In 2010, Mr O'Leary senior had sold the Southern to Christchurch food firm Raeward Fresh, and his son had run the business on a two-year lease.
After the Christchurch earthquakes, Raeward Fresh rethought its Dunedin plans and sold the property back to Mr O'Leary sen. Corey O'Leary then owned and ran the business, with his father owning the land and building.
The bar closed on April 2 and its sale to an undisclosed Dunedin buyer will take effect in June. Any potential redevelopment plans have yet to be announced.
One senior staff member opted for retirement and the O'Learys are pleased the bar's more than a dozen other staff have found jobs elsewhere.
