AsiaSF, San Francisco's pioneering transgender cabaret and restaurant, announces planned closure
Asia SF, the famed San Francisco cabaret and restaurant that has been a destination for seeing transgender entertainers for decades, on Monday announced it will close at the end of March.
A press release issued by the nightspot said that the last dinner show at the establishment will be held on Sunday, March 31, 2024. The date coincides with International Transgender Day of Visibility.
"It's been an extraordinary run and an incredible privilege to work with our transgender Ladies of AsiaSF," said founder and CEO Larry Hashbarger in the press release. "We look forward to a lively last few weeks in which we continue to entertain, educate and enliven. The legacy of AsiaSF will live on, having led the way in entertainment which celebrates everyone being their authentic selves."
Hashbarger cited "a changing nighttime environment post-COVID" as well as subsequent financial challenges as the reasons behind the closure.
Founded in 1998, AsiaSF quickly became a South of Market destination for fine cuisine and unique entertainment featuring drag shows with frequently transgender performers at its 9th Street location.
Celebrated by OpenTable.com as one of the 100 hottest restaurants in the U.S., the press release said AsiaSF has served over 1 million patrons in its 26 years of entertaining.
The press release noted that the physical location of AsiaSF would be shuttered, there was the potential for future pop-up editions of the restaurant's signature drag shows.