Great news is coming to lovers of the iconic dive bar. The Summer Place, the popular Nob Hill watering hole that has been around since the late 90’s, is gearing up to reopen after a long period of closure.
The Summer Place has been a neighborhood staple for over 23 years. One of the last bars in San Francisco to to ban indoor smoking, The Summer Place cultivated a fiercely loyal clientele thanks to its low-pressure atmosphere and welcoming staff.
The Summer Place was also known for its impressive pinball machine collection. As pinball began to see a resurgence in the late 2010s, The Summer Place became the go-to bar for hobbyists and curious amateurs alike. Unfortunately, complications from the recent pandemic made the operation untenable for the previous owner Suzy Gordon, and the bar was forced to close its doors for good, as reported by Hoodline last July.
Thankfully, it appears that the beloved bar will not remain vacant for much longer. An application uncovered by What Now San Francisco reveals plans to reopen the bar under new management. Operating as Winter Palace LLC, a new team is gearing up to bring The Summer Place back to life.
Consisting of owners Brett Frost, Leonid Kaplan, and James Ruta, the Winter Palace team is incredibly excited to bring this hidden gem of a bar back. As it stands, the team wants to change as little of the bar as possible while updating it enough to match modern sensibilities. For starters, they’ll be preserving the name The Summer Place as a nod to loyalists that things won’t be changing too much.
Beyond a few renovations like raising the ceiling to make for a more open experience, the new Summer Place will be preserving the aesthetic that locals have come to love over the past 23 years. Described by Leo as “a dive bar with class”, the bar will be a love letter to the neighborhood and the people that have made it what it is today.
Envisioning a casual, neighborhood cocktail bar with strong drinks and a friendly staff, Leo and his team are moving full speed ahead, trying to reopen as soon as the permits will let them. In their most aggressive model, they would like to be open by the end of October.
