September 5, 2023
Historic San Francisco Gay Bar Stud to Reopen in New Location
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
San Francisco's historic The Stud is making a comeback. The famed LGBTQ bar is set to reopen in the South of Market area at a new location after nearly four years after closure.
As reported by The San Francisco Chronicle, the 15-person collective that "owns and operates the Stud" announced at a news conference that the bar would reopen at 1123-1125 Folsom St. Previously, Stud was located at 399 Ninth St. from 1987-2020.
To help pay for renovations and launch its reopening, the team behind the bar turned to crowdfunding with a goal of raising $500,000 by the end of November. Now renovations are expected to commence then.
"Right now we are seeing San Francisco in a precarious state where a lot of businesses are closing. We're more determined now than ever to be a part of San Francisco's success and rebuilding," said Honey Mahogany, a member of the Stud Collective and chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party. "It's an opportunity to create a scene and also continue this incredibly rich and long history of queer resistance, joy and celebration in San Francisco."
Stud's next iteration is expected to incorporate "Victorian bar fixtures, colored glass pendants, bric-a-brac kitsch and vintage signage," the SF Chronicle reports.
Although the stud collective members say they are still months away from being 100 percent entertainment ready, "they plan to honor the Stud's history as a drag space and invite local promoters to submit ideas for club nights," SF Chronicle reports.
"The Stud has been around for almost 60 years. We've survived closures and venue changes before and have come back stronger," Mahogany added. "I'm really excited to see what this next chapter holds for the Stud and for San Francisco."
