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Bruno's nightclub set to reopen on Mission Street after six-year closure

Bruno's nightclub set to reopen on Mission Street after six-year closure

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

A new state music-venue liquor license and a new owner end a six-year vacancy

2 days ago: Reopening announced for September 12

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

For six years, the nightclub at 2389 Mission Street sat boarded up behind plywood and graffiti. On September 12, Bruno's reopens, six years after going dark in the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The path back ran through a state law, not just a change of heart. California's 2022 SB 793 created the Type 90 music-venue license, which lets live performance spaces sell alcohol without a full restaurant kitchen. That sidesteps the Mission's restricted district, where buying an existing nightclub license runs about $250,000.

Two earlier reopening announcements, in 2023 and February 2024, fell through. Whether this one sticks depends on the soft-opening crowds and the club's first full month of business.

Why it matters

A new state music-venue liquor license ended a six-year vacancy on Mission Street and could unlock other shuttered San Francisco nightlife spots.

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Key Indicators

6 years
Years Bruno's sat closed
Closed in March 2020 at the start of the lockdown; reopening September 2026.
$19,000
Cost of a new Type 90 license
Price of the state's new music-venue license per the city's Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
$250,000
Cost to buy an existing Type 48 license
Market rate for a transferable nightclub license, which Bruno's avoided via the Type 90.
60+ years
Years Bruno's has occupied 2389 Mission Street
Same storefront for six decades, evolving from Italian restaurant and labor hangout to nightclub.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

March 2020 September 2026

7 events Latest: 2 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Soft opening with local DJs

    Upcoming Opening

    DJ REZA and DJ Ibarra play the first night; weekend test runs continue through September.

  2. Reopening announced for September 12

    Latest Announcement

    Mission Local reports Bruno's will reopen under new owner Noelle Calixto with a soft opening.

  3. 'Done deal' forecast misses

    Announcement

    Consultant says Bruno's could reopen within a month. The bar stays shuttered through 2025.

  4. Board backs Bruno's liquor license

    Resolution

    Board of Supervisors passes a resolution recommending the state issue Bruno's a new liquor license.

  5. First reopening announcement

    Announcement

    Mission Local reports Bruno's may reopen that year; former owner George Karas blames city permit delays.

  6. California creates Type 90 license

    Legislation

    SB 793 establishes the music-venue license, letting live performance spaces sell alcohol without a full kitchen.

  7. Bruno's closes at pandemic's start

    Closure

    The nightclub shuts down with the city's COVID-19 lockdown and never reopens on time.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2016–2021

The Stud's community rescue (2016–2021)

The Stud, San Francisco's legendary queer bar founded in 1966, nearly closed in 2016 when its building went up for sale. A group of regulars formed a co-op, raised money, and took ownership of the bar itself.

Then

The Stud reopened at a new SoMa location under community ownership in 2021.

Now

It became a model for saving beloved nightlife institutions by changing who runs them, not just the building.

Why this matters now

Like The Stud, Bruno's survived because its operators changed. Where The Stud used a community co-op, Bruno's used a hospitality owner and a new license category.

December 2019

The Elbo Room closes for good (2019)

The Elbo Room, a beloved Mission District music venue at 647 Valencia Street, closed on New Year's Eve 2019 after the building was sold. The new owner planned to redevelop the property, ending the venue's 29-year run.

Then

The venue's famous mural came down and the space sat empty, a loss mourned by musicians and locals.

Now

It never reopened, and its closure became a symbol of rising rents squeezing San Francisco nightlife.

Why this matters now

Bruno's nearly met the same end. A new owner and a state licensing fix gave it a path back that the Elbo Room never had.

Sources

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