Business owners contend upcoming slate of concerts and shows could heighten already renewed interest in the area
As the Castro Theatre’s operators prepare to reopen the historic property to the public this spring, nearby merchants and community leaders say they expect the upcoming concerts and shows will boost their businesses amid the neighborhood’s continued upswing.
This week, Another Planet Entertainment will announce the film programming coming to the former movie palace, which temporarily shuttered in February 2024 to be converted by the Berkeley-based concert promoter into a live entertainment venue. Castro Theatre employees last week unveiled the comedy shows, concerts, drag performances and other productions that will take the stage beginning in March, which follows a 20-night residency from singer-songwriter Sam Smith in February. Merchants surrounding Castro Theatre say that the building’s reopening in a matter of months is a welcomed return to the neighborhood, as the shows will bring additional foot traffic to the area and create opportunities for venue attendees to patronize nearby establishments. “Ask any bar or restaurant owner and they will tell you they have been looking forward to it for the last few years,” said Nate Bourg, president of the Castro Merchants Association, of the forthcoming reopening. Bourg said the theater’s revival will “bring renewed energy throughout our entire district that is very much needed in these uncertain economic times.” Bourg told The Examiner this summer that the neighborhood was “beginning to feel the buzz of pre-pandemic Castro once again.” The $596,000 in sales-tax revenue the Castro-Upper Market area generated from April to June was the fourth-highest quarterly total since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago. Business owners in proximity to the Castro Theatre said they were able to attract and retain customers during nights when the space was booked. The theater’s reopening this spring will be “a win-win for everyone in San Francisco,” said David Weiss, co-founder of the Pasta Panino Italian restaurant on 18th Street. Weiss’ restaurant opened in July 2023, seven months before the venue closed for a $41 million renovation. During those seven months, Weiss said his restaurant served up to 16 additional guests per day because the theater hosted film screenings, community events and productions like the San Francisco Sketchfest, as well as a steady stream of regulars. Weiss said more activity at Castro businesses would generate increased sales tax revenue, money that could go into The City’s budget and improve its financial outlook. Theater activity “lifts every small business in the neighborhood by bringing more people who tend to come early or stay after the show to dine, visit bars and shop at retail businesses,” Weiss said, adding that those patrons are often “the difference between survival and going out of business.” Poesia owner Francesco D'Ippolito said employees at his restaurant have likewise been looking forward to the Castro Theatre’s reopening, as the venue has been “an amazing source of business for our restaurant.” Famous faces who have dined at the Italian restaurant after visiting the theater have included Andrew Garfield, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Scorsese and Dakota Johnson. Ex // Top Stories Iconic Bay Bridge troll’s legend lives on away from original home Constructed as tribute to workers repairing span after ‘89 ‘quake, sculpture ‘still building own mythology’ Fun in The City doesn't end after the sun sets with these 18 SF events The days have gotten shorter, but the list of fun things happening this week is as long as ever California congressional redraw to counter Texas gerrymander passes Prop. 50, Gov. Newsom and fellow Democrats’ measure to redraw the state’s congressional lines, surges to a quick victory at the ballot box D’Ippolito said the theater has acted as “a catalyst for the community to gather in our neighborhood with the many film festivals, sing-along events, concerts and so forth. Announced acts coming to Castro Theatre next year include Father John Misty, The Breeders, Perfume Genius and José Gonzalez. Other entertainers swinging by the neighborhood include drag performer Alyssa Edwards and television personality Jonathan Van Ness. Mary Conde, Another Planet Entertainment’s senior vice president said the Castro Theatre’s return “marks a powerful new chapter in San Francisco’s LGBTQ, cultural and film history.” Conde said that for generations, the Castro Theatre has acted as “a gathering place for self-expression and community” and that the building’s announced and soon-to-be-revealed shows reflect that sentiment. Among its revealed film programming thus far, the Castro Theatre will host the 50th edition of the Frameline Film Festival, The City’s queer film festival, in June. The theater will hold events on eight days of the 11-day festival, which will incorporate other Bay Area venues. Allegra Madsen, Frameline’s executive director, said the Castro Theatre “is a vital part of the neighborhood and the theater’s legacy as an iconic movie palace is central to our cultural history.” Ongoing improvements to the over 100-year-old Castro Theatre include swapping a fixed seating arrangement with a retractable, motorized platform that can change configurations depending on the event, replacing groundfloor concessions with mobile stands located in the back of the auditorium, and enhancing the building’s acoustics and ventilation system. The project has restored the building's marquee sign, with Conde saying that with the theater’s “careful restoration and renewed programming,” Another Planet Entertainment is “proud to welcome audiences back to celebrate the stories, voices and artistry that make the Castro shine.” By drawing renewed attention to the neighborhood, Bourg said the Castro Theatre’s return next year will add to The City’s resurgence. “As San Francisco comes back strong, The Castro will be helping lead the way, just as it should be,” he said.
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