Meet & Greet with Geoffrey Deetz at Cali's Sports Bar & Kitchen in Berkeley

Beetlejuice,
Beetlejuice,
Beetle—!

It’s the Halloween season and many of us are looking for creepy movies to watch. When Beetlejuice was released in 1988, it quickly became a classic. But was anyone aware it was loosely based on a true story? The scriptwriters even used the real surname of the family that inspired the story. Geoffrey Deetz has graciously accepted our invitation to tell us about his family’s experiences while living on the East Coast.

Geoffrey grew up in a family of nine in a haunted house. His late father, James, was a renown historical archaeologist who apparently met some creative types that took an interest in the family’s experiences. Several years later, the idea led to the development of Beetlejuice, which was eventually completed after James’s death.

Living with ghosts never kept Geoffrey from his passion for food. He started cooking when he was five and by the time he was 18, he was running his first restaurant. He lived in Vietnam for 17 years where he immersed himself in the culture, cuisine and language. That was when he met his wife and started a family. Today, he owns and operates Broken Dreams, a Vietnamese restaurant in Oakland, with his wife, Nhu Nguyen.

So, let’s talk to Geoffrey about growing up in a haunted house. We’ll find out how his father met the people who put their story on the big screen. Considering Beetlejuice was directed by Tim Burton, how much of that macabre imagery matches true life? Feel free to bring your questions.

We’ll be meeting at Cali’s Sports Bar & Kitchen, which is in the same unit that formerly housed Larry Blake’s. With some of the turmoil that Telegraph Avenue over several decades, it’s hard to accept that the businesses located so close to the Cal Berkeley campus have been spared from paranormal activity. This location opened in 1940 as restaurant by Larry Blake, who managed it himself for around 30 years. He then sold it to a group of employees who envisioned the place as a club with live music. Since Blake sold his place, it has seen a series of owners.

When I went in to ask if the place might have any ghosts a while back, a male staffer said, “Oh, I don’t know. It’s been a while since I’ve heard anything about the dog.” He went on to say that there had been stories about people seeing a phantom dog in the place’s loft. The staffer was not aware of the background of the pooch.

I had also been told that the proprietors used to sprinkle sawdust over the concrete floor of its basement (probably to help sop up the beverages spilled there). One of their employees thought this would be a kewl place to spread his father’s ashes. The ashes have long since been swept up, but it’s worth checking out.

My apologies, but I wasn’t able to do much reconnaissance for this one. Parking in this neighborhood may be a bit of challenge; it’s been a years since I spent much time in the neighborhood. Lunch is Dutch treat. BAGH hosts will be wearing their flashing light necklaces.

Thanks so much to BAGH member Chris Banda for suggesting this meetup! I hope many of you will be able to join us.

Adrienne