Goodbye, GFB, and thanks for the memories

Last night, I hula-hooped at the GFB Scottish Pub for the last time. After 13 years, the Old Orchard Beach bar has closed.

GFB is a place that holds a lot of memories for me. My late husband, Brian, wasn’t an incredibly social person, but he loved GFB. It was the first place I heard him sing karaoke. We went there many times to listen to live music, and I always at some point in the evening grabbed one of the hula hoops by the stage. I even met a fellow hula hooper there about 10 years ago and we’re still friends.

When owners Bob and Kelly Greenlaw announced last week that the bar was closing on Sunday, May 3, I was more than a little sad.

I had stopped going there for a while after Brian died in August 2024, and went back for the first time earlier this year. When I got there, Bob gave me a hug and he thanked me for writing my latest grief column. We talked about Brian and about life. Later that night I texted a friend, “I went to GFB for the first time since Brian died. It felt like coming home.”

Third spaces, those gathering spots where people find community between home and work or school, are disappearing. Malls are closing, people are getting their coffee delivered or at a drive-thru, and going out has become more about trying a trendy cocktail or appetizer and less about hanging out.

GFB owner Bob Greenlaw talks with patron Mike Coleman on Sunday. PHOTO BY LIZ GOTTHELF

GFB was a third space for many. It was a dive bar – authentic, no frills, unpretentious. All were welcome. It was the type of place where you could come as you are. You didn’t have to dress up. You just had to show up.

And as someone said to me last night, “Everyone here was so nice.”

Bob and Kelly not only owned GFB, but they were a part of the experience. Walking into GFB, you felt like you had been invited to their basement game room. I remember trying out new hula hoops that Bob had made a few years ago. I also remember learning that when I was out of town, Brian had stopped by the bar and done karaoke with Bob. And there were several times when Brian and I cheered Kelly on to encourage her to do karaoke, because she has a great voice.

GFB owner Kelly Greenlaw sings on stage Sunday night. PHOTO BY LIZ GOTTHELF

“GFB wasn’t just a bar. It was a home. It was where strangers became regulars, and regulars became family,” said bartender Megan Rydle, who got up on stage to address the patrons who had become her friends.

On Thanksgiving, Bob and Kelly hosted a dinner for those who didn’t have a place to go. A few couples over the years got married at GFB. Many friends were honored with celebration of life events at the bar.

Right until the end, GFB kept on its regular schedule of karaoke, live music, and pool and dart tournaments. On Sunday, the very last night, local musicians took the stage for the open mic blues jam, just like they did every Sunday.

“We want to keep things normal, or as normal as possible,” said Bob.

The pub had a good run, he said, but it was a lot of work. Being there every evening until the early hours of the morning, seven days a week can take its toll after a while. He described the situation as bittersweet. They were sad to close the bar, but were looking forward to having more free time.

“Watching these doors close is heartbreaking, but I’ll always carry GFB with me—in the strength it gave me, in the friendships it created, and in every memory that will never fade,” said Megan. “Some places you work at… and some places become part of who you are. This was that place for me.”

Saco Bay News Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.