Every second Saturday for a number of years now has been Frolic, the Bay Area furry community's regular monthly dance party hosted at The Stud. It's one of many community's worried by the news that the 50-year-old bar is in danger after getting a major rent hike, and as its longtime owner/manager announces he's selling the business.
Local furry blog The Dogpatch Press registers their shock about the possible loss of the venue, with columnist Patch O'Furr noting that s/he had recently spoken with Stud bartenders Brian and Bernadette who said the place was secure and had a long-term lease, despite the looming threat of gentrification as a monstrous condo project rose on the former Muni bus lot next door.
And today we learn that the first step toward a possible community solution to save the place has arrived in the form of this Facebook group, SOS! Save Our Stud!. Spearheading the effort is Mica Sigourney, a.k.a. VivvyAnne ForeverMore, who spoke with 48 Hills today about next steps. One option is a worker-owned cooperative like Rainbow Grocery, but he says, "We’re also looking for significant investors who would help us buy the business, as well as the liquor license, which is of course very valuable."
Supervisor Jane Kim has already said she should be able to expedite getting the place to become a registered Legacy Business, earning it some rental offset funds from the city and a sort of historic status.
But first and foremost, Sigourney encourages everyone who loves the bar to actually go there go to SomeThing every Friday, or karaoke on Thursdays, or just go to a happy hour, or go Frolic in your furry best.
Below, some video from Frolic in February.
WE IN THIS #frolic @frolicparty pic.twitter.com/ZGD0u9hXZt
— P▲RTY T!GER (@PartyTigre) February 14, 2016
Related: Following 300% Rent Increase, Community Bands Together To Save Iconic SoMa Gay Bar The Stud