SF nightlife institution known as the oldest bar in the neighborhood shutters after 60 years

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A piece of San Francisco history is closing its doors.

Red’s Place in San Francisco’s Chinatown will close, according to its owner. First opened in 1963, the dive bar referred to itself as the oldest bar in the neighborhood.

Owner Jerry Chan announced the news in a teaser for an interview with NBC Bay Area. “San Francisco, Red’s is closing,” said Chan.

Chan did not share reasons behind the bar’s closure, though fans were devastated by the news.

“NOOOOOOOO!!! Please say it’s just for renovations…” one commenter wrote.

“My uncles just rolled over in their graves,” said another commenter.

“Man I killed it during karoke nights here! Super lowkey casual and grungy. The most random people popped up here. I’m going to miss this place,” a third commenter said.

The bar at 672 Jackson St. was bought by Jerry’s parents, Herman and Lisa Chan, in 1990.

The building has a long history that stretches back before Red’s. It once housed a barber shop in the late 1800s, followed by a cigar store and a saloon, according to Red’s website.

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Closed to patrons, the bar’s basement still holds teller booths that date back to the neighborhood’s underground gambling past, according to Red’s.

The bar was once a key part of Chinatown’s Chinese New Year parade, which once went down Grant street towards Broadway. Red’s still participates in the annual celebration, with a firecracker show on Jackson Street.

In a 2017 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Jerry reflected on the city’s changes, and said he’s committed to keeping the bar open.

“I’m still here,” he said “This city is changing rapidly, and this is one thing we don’t want to lose.”