The Uptown is Closing After 39 Years in the Mission

The hits keep coming this year with the news that beloved neighborhood bar, Uptown, is closing. Mission Local broke the news yesterday giving us all an  heartbreak we didn’t see coming. At this point, should we be able to see these things coming? According to the breaking story, “Uptown, the dive bar and legacy business at 17th and Capp streets founded a day after Christmas in 1984, will close in early January, one of its owners said today.”

The Uptown in San Francisco – photo from their Instagram

The article goes on to explain, “The bar, at 200 Capp St., has struggled to make ends meet since the pandemic. Bolstered at first by an assortment of public monies — $200,000 in federal pandemic loans here, $10,000 in state funds there, and “other little grants” — the bar has since run out of runway. “Sales are way down, expenses are way up,” said Shae Green, one of seven worker-owners of the bar.”

Like many small businesses and bars, 2020 impacted this neighborhood joint hard and they never fully recovered from the financial impact of the pandemic’s multiple closures. The financial hardships, coupled with the sluggish pace of 2023, ultimately led to the closure of this perfectly wonderful dive bar.

Why is this closure so particularly hard on folks this time around? A neighborhood bar is a special place. No frills, community, comfort and a low-key good time that gives people that feeling of belonging. Back when I lived in The Mission in 2005-ish, I used to pop into The Uptown after class on my way home. It was the perfect middle spot between art school and my home in the heart of the Mission on Balmy. I could find myself a couch, pull out my sketchbook and do some drawing with a pint. It felt like an extension of my own living room… cozy, welcoming and homey. People are understandably heart broken by the loss of this wonderful neighborhood dive bar.

The Uptown Instagram Post sharing the closing – photo from their Instagram

Uptown’s History

The Uptown has been around for 39 years. It was opened by a Chicago native who relocated to San Francisco in 1980 and eventually opened the bar in 1984. He was reportedly a scholar with Oxford training in English and philosophy who passed away in 2016 via a heart attack. His death hit the whole Uptown family hard but they pushed on and kept the bar open despite the unknowns ahead.

Getting acquainted with him through his obituary helps you appreciate the exceptional nature of this place. “He was a true Bohemian. He never wanted anything to change at The Uptown. He would never 86 anyone, or kick anyone out. He refused to change the artwork, which is so bad it has now become great. It took a lot of convincing for him to get rid of the puke-covered couches, or put toilet paper in the ladies’ room,” says Desmond Shea, a genius sound engineer and friend who worked as a bartender at The Uptown from 1992 until 1998. Ellsworth funded Shea’s first business venture. “He was a brilliant human being, studied English and philosophy at Oxford, a little-known fact. Scott had voluminous knowledge and a sharp mind that he somewhat hid behind drink. He could have a conversation with you about everything, anything.” Shea laughs and adds, “Scott was very hands-off, he let the employees run the show. I offered a $5 beer-and-a-haircut special, and once cut Warren Hinckle’s hair in The Uptown. It became very popular, and it was completely unsanitary. Hair all over the floor of the bar.”

You can also read this deep dive into The Uptown’s queer history taht Ginger Murray did for BrokeAssStuart.com.

Want to support the staff? There is still an active GoFundMe which was initially started in 2020. Also, show support by letting them know how much this venue has meant to you over the years via their Instagram account: @uptownsanfrancisco

The Uptown in San Francisco – photo from their Instagram