Change of ownership and new vinyl vibe transform Jan's Place in SLO 

It's all about sips and sounds at Jan's Place, which celebrated its grand reopening in January. A popular neighborhood hangout in San Luis Obispo's historic Railroad District since launching in 2021, Jan's has amicably passed hands from founder Jan Horn to newcomers Jeff and Lisa Root.

"I love what Jeff has done to the space," said Horn, who is now happily retired. "He has a completely different vibe. ... I'm trying to go in once a week, on a nonbusy night, to be able to talk to my friends and wish him well."

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• Courtesy Photos By Robbie Bruzus
• SMOOTH OPERATOR Jeff Root, proprietor of the re-imagined Jan's Place in SLO, deftly pivots between the DJ booth and bar.

Slow nights, however, are few and far between—the reimagined Jan's is gathering steam as a vinyl-focused hot spot.

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• Courtesy Photos By Robbie Bruzus
• LISTENING LOUNGE The intimate 24-seat Jan's Place offers state-of-the-art acoustics so guests can converse and enjoy music at optimized volumes. The space and DJ equipment can be rented out for special events.

Order local wine, brew, cider, or nonalcoholic beverages as well as a variety of novel snacks, or bring in food from nearby restaurants including My Thai Restaurant, Del Monte Café, and Café Roma. Then sit back and enjoy the intimate space, which has been extensively retrofitted to balance acoustics.

"There are sound absorbers on the ceiling, diffusers and bass traps on the walls, and rugs on the floor," Jeff said. "Speaker placement is important to us. We want warmth—a space where the acoustics are so good that you can listen to music and have a conversation, both at a normal volume."

The DJ booth itself is on prominent display at the bar, with two Technics SL-1200 turntables and a Pioneer DJ two-channel mixer.

"We use a proper nightclub setup from back in the day," Jeff said. "Any nightclub DJ or bedroom DJ who is into beatmatching or blending can walk into our place and quickly understand the setup."

Jeff's vinyl collection includes 1,500-plus records at the bar, and around 2,000 45s at home.

"But we're just getting started," he added. "I want to have far more records in the bar. Far more."

Jeff and Lisa are vinyl hounds, and the hunt is hopping nationwide. In 2022, revenue from records grew 17 percent from the year prior and raked in $1.2 billion, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, based in Washington, D.C. Additionally, vinyl outsold CDs for the first time since 1987.

The Central Coast in particular offers a treasure trove of record stores.

"I shop locally at Vinyl Isle in Morro Bay; Traffic in Atascadero; Boo Boo, Cheap Thrills, and A Satellite of Love in SLO; Phantom Stranger in Grover Beach; and Paradise in Orcutt," Jeff said.

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• Courtesy Photos By Robbie Bruzus
• LOCAL LIBATIONS Jan's Place in SLO features a Central Coast-heavy pour list of reds, whites, and bubbles; draft and canned beer and cider; and low-alcohol and nonalcoholic beverages. Stay tuned for sake options.

"And because so many people are buying records, there's also a good network of people selling used hi-fi gear [as well as] people like Audio Doctor SLO who can help you fix and maintain the gear you have, which is so important. There's a real scene here."

Jeff, raised in Detroit, and Lisa, from the Bay Area, know a thing or two about music as longtime DJs who have spanned the globe from North America to Australia and Asia.

Along the way, Lisa, who has dual New Zealand citizenship, earned a master's degree in software engineering from the University of Sydney and presently works remotely as a software engineer by day while Jeff oversees most aspects of the bar.

Additionally, behind the scenes, "Lisa maintains all our backend systems—anything that requires a technical mindset," Jeff said. "And she acts as comptroller for the business, keeping me from spending all our money on records and amplifiers."

Not that Lisa can't be found spinning vinyl occasionally.

"Playing records on the weekend is a great way for her to enjoy time away from the computer," he added.

DJ professionals might know the Roots from their time in Auckland, Austin, Tokyo, and elsewhere.

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• Courtesy Photos By Robbie Bruzus
• BEHIND THE DECKS Jan's Place owners and DJs Jeff and Lisa Root met in San Francisco in 1998, married at a jazz club in Chicago in 2003, and have been making sweet music together ever since.

"Lisa from Down the Road is her DJ name from when we had a radio show in New Zealand [on George FM]," Jeff said. "I tend to change my DJ name to suit our location. I think my new DJ name is Jan Splace. Get it?"

Teasing aside, Jeff would also like to shake up the name Jan's.

"Names are hard, and awnings are expensive," he said. "So we kept the spelling and the existing signage and just changed the pronunciation to 'Yahn's.' And I think it says a bit about who we are. We don't take ourselves too seriously. Good bars have good stories behind them.

"Before Jan's it was the Caboose. One of the former owners was in recently, telling us wild tales from the '80s and '90s. We just want to stay connected to what's been here before us. The vibe inside is what we want to be known for, regardless of how people say our name."

The unique vibe at Jan's is rooted in Tokyo's jazz kissa culture.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Jan's Place
• TINNED TREATS Select from trout, sardines, mackerel, mussels, or oysters jazzed up with saltines, lemon, herbs, and Bon Temps hot sauce at Jan's Place in SLO. Other snack options include stuffed grape leaves, popcorn, pretzels, and more.

"A jazz kissa is a café or bar that specializes in playing jazz. ... The lights are low, the drinks are good, and the sound quality of the small room is high. Deep selections, narrow genre. Japan has a 100-year history of such cafés and bars. It's amazing.

"A close friend recently published a photobook on the topic. We use it as sort of a mood board and keep a copy at the bar.

"There are also kissa-type vinyl bars that specialize in different genres. The last time we lived in Tokyo, there were two soul bars in our neighborhood. There was a punk bar in Shibuya that we used to go to. There was a '60s/'70s rock bar called Strawberry Fields that we just loved," he said. "There's just a super-rich history of record bars throughout Japan. And now we're seeing vinyl listening lounges opening all around the world."

Jeff said that they're not trying to perfectly replicate a kissa, they're simply aiming to create an inviting space, regardless of genre.

"If there's something you want to hear, we'll play it. We're keen on the concept of omotenashi, which is to wholeheartedly look after guests. Small neighborhood vibes. We'll ask you your name."

Jeff and Lisa say they've been thinking about opening a bar for the past 15 years, but this is the first time they've lived in one place long enough to make it a reality.

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• Courtesy Photo By Robbie Bruzus
• PICK YOUR POISON Jan's Place boasts around 1,500 multi-genre albums and growing. Wednesday the bar sticks to blues, while Thursday is open deck—guests can bring in and play their own records.

With a little more than two months under their belt, the Roots like what they're seeing—a packed house and guests of all ages mingling and sipping delicious, renowned Central Coast pours.

"My favorite moments at the bar are when connections are made—like when two people from the neighborhood, who didn't know each other before, are now swapping concert stories," Lisa said. "And getting music recommendations is the best. I love learning about what other people are listening to.

Added Jeff: "Hearing the right song at the right time can make your night." Δ

Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte is all aboard Jan's vinyl revival. Reach her at [email protected].