Take this Wooden Nickel

The Wooden Nickel wants to be the neighborhood’s living room.

The Mission’s newest bar celebrated its soft opening last weekend in the former Truck spot at 15th and Folsom streets, despite some finishing touches still left to be done and a sign yet to be hung out front. Even so, its transition from a themed gay bar to a neighborhood watering hole seemed pretty complete on Sunday, its predecessor’s kitschy mud flaps and chrome swapped for a pool table and homier look.

Behind the bar that day, one of the new owners, Cassy Fritzen, said it felt like things were off to a good start. While a couple of guys wandered in confusedly looking for, she assumes, Truck, the bar stools were full and most things were working save for cable. The TV had been hooked up to rabbit ears instead.

“Everything’s turned out really well. The neighbors are really stoked to have an open business on this corner. Having a bar open late is good,” Fritzen said. “I feel like it’s really coming together.”

In the works since February, The Wooden Nickel, at 1900 Folsom St., boasts what looked to be a pretty solid jukebox and menu of bar snacks, made by Fogcutter catering company and served from 5 to 10 or 11 every day except Sunday. Selections include a kimchi dog, burger and tater tots – with chili or without. Fritzen said she and business partners Shannon Lynn and Nancy Chung hope to open for weekend brunch at some point down the line and put seating outside.

True to its name, the Wooden Nickel will give out wooden tokens – for free drinks and discounts.

In an interview back in September, Fritzen, Lynn and Chung – all longtime bartenders in the city – told Capp Street Crap that with all the changes in the Mission, they wanted to create a no nonsense gathering place that could be an anchor in the neighborhood.

“This is our neighborhood and we’re trying to create that environment we’re missing and seeing get stripped away,” Chung said.

Chung and Lynn are both Mission residents, while Fritzen lives at the edge of Bernal Heights. Fritzen has bartended at Zeitgeist and Benders, Lynn at The Homestead and Southern Pacific Brewing Co. and Chung at Columbus Café and Thieves Tavern, among others.

“We’ve been working in bars for a really long time,” Chung said. “When we had a chance to do something for ourselves, we jumped on it.”

Fritzen said at the time her hope was that The Wooden Nickel would be more than just a place to sit and passively drink, but also somewhere, “you can really get to know your neighbors.

“The bars we work in really have that strong sense of community,” she said.

The Wooden Nickel appeared to be fitting in well Sunday, if one customer’s three-word drink review was any indication.

“How’s your bloody?” Fritzen asked the man, who’d walked over to ask for change for the jukebox.

“Delicious. Fucking delicious,” he said.