Cherished San Francisco bar supervisor dies at 33
The service industry in San Francisco was rocked by shocking news last week: Ilya Romanov, a local bar manager and bartender, died on December 30, 2022. He was 33 years old.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Romanov helped launch cocktail oasis Bar Iris on Polk Street back in October 2021. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate editorial offices.)
He was loved by many, as evidenced by the social media posts following his death and the comments section on a GoFundMe page. He is survived by his son and his son’s mother.
“Ilya was incredibly creative and hardworking. Watching him develop Bar Iris was so fulfilling and exciting. Meticulously designing every detail and doing much of the work yourself,” wrote GoFundMe organizer Emilio Salehi. “Often I saw Ilya covered in dirt, with paint on his overalls and cuts on his hands. But no matter what, I’ve always seen him with that big smile on his face.”
People echoed those sentiments in the comments.
“Thank you Ilya for always giving me a safe space to just be myself, surrounded by great conversations and beautiful community,” wrote Gloria Yen. “He was truly a gift to everyone he brought into his life and I am forever grateful to him.”
Romanov was born in Russia and moved to the Bay Area when he was 18. He worked his way up from barback to bar manager over the past ten years. According to Bar Iris’ website, Romanov previously worked at San Francisco bars and restaurants such as Beehive, Niku Steakhouse and Dorian.
Saying hello to Ilya was always a highlight of walking Polk Street. His warmth and enthusiasm for life was contagious, and no matter how busy he was, he always had a big smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes,” Alice Yang wrote. “… Ilya lived a life true to his values: freely sharing his energy, joy and inspiration with everyone who crossed his path. I’m grateful to be one of them.”
Starting Bar Iris seemed to be the crown jewel of all his experiences in the San Francisco bar scene. According to Eater SF, he designed the bar’s layout himself, trained the staff and developed the cocktail menu.
“Words cannot adequately describe how much his family, friends and community will miss Ilya,” Salehi said on the GoFundMe page. “He was an absolute gift to all of our lives.”
