The Elbo Room’s owner Matt Shapiro announced on Facebook Wednesday that the long-time neighborhood bar and music venue will close in November. Its former owners, Dennis and Susan Ring will not be renewing the bar’s lease as their proposed condo project makes it way through the Planning process. As we reported earlier, the plan will “convert the two story club into a five-story, nine unit condominium.” The Rings said earlier they want to have a place where they can retire.
Here’s Shapiro’s statement: (h/t Broke-Ass Stuart)
There is finally news.
Dennis and Susan Ring had a meeting with the powers that be and they seem quite confident that their condo project will be able to move forward.
As a result, they have decided not to renew our lease which expires Nov. 1st, 2015.Yes, we are in shock.
What’s next?
We will be looking for a new space to continue what we are doing. With hopefully as little lapse as possible.
We own the liquor license, the business and all contents inside (except for pinball/pacman).
Hopefully we can find something soon.
The Rings had promised that they’d help the bar find another space somewhere close by in the Mission. As Shapiro notes, they hope to find another space soon. So, it may not be the end of the Elbo Room per se, but the bar will be not long for its Valencia and Sycamore space.
San Franciscans mourned the loss of the venue on Twitter:
we knew this was coming. #gentrification in the mission, #sf http://t.co/DKGn2ocRPs
— sara powell (@kaleidoscopesf) April 23, 2015
With Orbit Room and Elbo Room closing, I might as well just quit drinking.
— Kate Conger (@kateconger) April 23, 2015
We knew the Elbo Room was closing for a while, doesn’t make the official announcement easy to take.
— Ariel Dovas (@eviloars) April 23, 2015