The historic Gold Dust Lounge near San Francisco’s Union Square is facing eviction to make way for a clothing retailer, according to the family that owns the bar.
Nick Bovis, the son of one of the lounge’s owners, Tasios Bovis, said his father and uncle have operated the bar at 247 Powell St. for 47 years.
“They’re getting an eviction notice now to get out by March 10,” he said today.
The historic Gold Dust Lounge near San Francisco’s Union Square is facing eviction to make way for a clothing retailer, according to the family that owns the bar.
Nick Bovis, the son of one of the lounge’s owners, Tasios Bovis, said his father and uncle have operated the bar at 247 Powell St. for 47 years.
“They’re getting an eviction notice now to get out by March 10,” he said today.
Bovis said the landlord already signed a lease with The Limited and that “the retailer wants the space.” Update 1/11, 2:54 PM: A spokeswoman for The Limited said today the retailer has no plans to open a store in San Francisco.
A Twitter account set up by the bar to spread the news of its impending closure states that “the Gold Dust Lounge opened in 1933 and has been a San Francisco institution ever since. We may be forced to close after receiving a lease cancellation notice.”
Lee Houskeeper, a publicist for the bar and for Lefty O’Doul’s, which is owned by another member of the Bovis family, said news of the eviction has been traveling quickly.
“We were hoping that the lawyers would work something out and that we’d have a little time,” Houskeeper said.
Grassroots efforts are under way to save the bar, including a “Save The Gold Dust Lounge” Facebook page that sprung up Sunday night.
“The Gold Dust is not only a destination for tourists and natives alike, its (sic) a landmark that needs to stay,” one post stated. “There couldn’t be much that could do better for the city in the same location.”
Another post called the venue “one of the last great unpretentious bars in San Francisco.”
Houskeeper said the contents of the bar are as important as the structure.
“There’s a family ghost that resides on the last stool in the back: Herb Caen,” he said, referring to the prolific San Francisco Chronicle columnist who frequented the bar. Caen died in 1997.
Photo: Yelp user Kevin Y
Patricia Decker, Bay City News
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