SF’s oldest LGBTQ bar is dragging itself back onto the scene, as they’ve announced a grand reopening date of Saturday, April 20 at their new Folsom and Seventh street location, with liquor licenses and entertainment permits secured.
While legendary SF LGBTQ nightclub The Stud dates back to 1966, you’ll recall it closed its doors at the old Ninth and Harrison location during COVID, and announced it was departing that location in May 2020.
But we saw signs this past August that The Stud had secured a new location just a few blocks up on Folsom Street at 1123 Folsom Street (at Seventh Street), the former Julie's Supper Club which had most recently been a sports bar called Trademark, and home to several pop-ups like "Golden Girls Kitchen" and "Holly Jolly Holiday Bar." The news of The Stud moving into that location was confirmed in September.
And now there is a grand opening date for the reborn version of The Stud.
In a Saturday Instagram announcement, The Stud Collective declared, “IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING!!! Save the date for the Stud’s GRAND OPENING on Saturday April 20th!!! More details coming soon.”
Things have been moving quickly as of late for The Stud. The SF Board of Supervisors approved recommending a liquor license for The Stud in November, and a review of state Department of Alcohol Beverage Control records shows that The Stud was indeed granted that liquor license on January 24 of this year. And on March 5 of this year, the SF Entertainment commission granted The Stud an indoor entertainment permit.
At that meeting, The Stud manager Rachel Ryan said of the new location, “1123 Folsom Street has been a bar for over 50 years, dating back to at least 1973 when it was a leather bar called The Stables. And as a side note I must admit, bringing The Stud back home to The Stables feels like a very sweet, full circle moment to be happening right in the heart of the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District.”
If this news of The Stud returning is rocking your world, be aware they that are looking for (volunteer) moving help. “Hey SF BAY AREA! Looking for babes who can lift and build!” the club says on Instagram, pointing to a volunteer link in their bio. “We need to get the rest of our stuff out of storage on Treasure Island, rebuild our historic bar and install a bunch of art.”
Additionally, there is a Saturday, April 6 fundraiser for The Stud at Public Works, with The Blessed Madonna and David Harness.
So we’re looking at a new incarnation for The Stud. But in reality, The Stud has moved and changed hands a few times since 1966. It opened back then at 1535 Folsom Street, which has most recently been known as Holy Cow and Eve. In 1987, the club moved to the Ninth and Harrison streets location with which you’re familiar, and remained there for 33 years. A 150% rent increase in 2016 prompted then-owner Michael McElhaney to announce the club’s closure, but the Stud Collective formed to buy it.
That collective did manage a few lease extensions to keep The Stud operating at Ninth and Harrison, until COVID hit. So now it’s on to a new location for The Stud, and April 20 (4/20) will apparently be high time to see the newest version of The Stud.
Image: Kevin Y. via Yelp
