Latest news with #ToronadoCash
Eater
2 days ago
- Business
- Eater
Legendary Beer Bar Tornado Might Not Be Getting Sold to a ‘Crypto Bro' After All
A contentious purchase of longtime Haight Street bar Toronado has gone Secret Lives of Mormon Wives . Days after would-be buyer Orion Parrott visited the bar with a San Francisco Chronicle reporter and photographer — a visit that devolved into chaos and shouts — current owner Dave Keene's lawyers told Parrot that the sale was off, supposedly because Parrot didn't waive 'certain contingencies within a given period of time,' the Chronicle reports. Parrott told the paper that he can't waive those contingencies because he's waiting on paperwork from Keene. So for now, the sale of a neighborhood institution and one of the city's most important beer bars is on ice. Toronado is closing because Keene, who opened the bar in 1987 and also founded the Barleywine Festival, is retiring. Parrott, a former Raytheon employee and current crypto entrepreneur, seemed like an odd match for Tornado, an old-school place that doesn't even take credit cards. When the San Francisco Standard broke the news in March that he was buying Tornado, the paper called him a 'tech bro' and quoted a group chat message where he said that he was trying to build 'the next great San Francisco food & beverage brand in the steps of Blue Bottle.' The Standard also reported that Parrott planned to launch a ToronadoCash crypto coin, but the reaction from the bar's regulars was so negative he gave up on the idea, he told the Chron . The reaction to Parrott himself also seems harsh. The Chron came to the bar with Parrott to interview and shoot photos on Friday, May 30. The atmosphere was tense, and bartenders cursed at Parrott, the reporter, and the photographer — they were particularly annoyed by the idea of the photographer taking pictures of staff and patrons. By the time they left, Keene was calling the reporter to make it clear he was still the owner. 'I own the Toronado! He does not!' Keene told the paper 'over and over.' Parrott told the Chron that his plans for the space included a 3,000-square-foot rooftop bar and that the former Rosamunde location next door is included in the $1.75 million asking price. Parrott plans to open that as a restaurant again. But now it's unclear whether any of those plans will come to fruition. Per the Chron, Keene and Parrott have not spoken directly, only worked together through the brokers handling the sale, and now Keene seems like he doesn't want to sell, or at least not to Parrott. Sign up for our newsletter.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Famed SF beer bar The Toronado reportedly has new buyer — and meme coin
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Iconic San Francisco beer bar, The Toronado, reportedly has a new buyer and also, apparently, a meme coin. The long-running Lower Haight establishment opened 38 years ago and was reportedly put up for sale earlier this year. Now, according to multiple reports, the bar has found a buyer. According to a report in the San Francisco Standard, that buyer is crypto currency investor Orion Parrott. Parrott, according to the Standard, plans to turn the Toronado into a global brand, complete with its own cryptocurrency. The proposed currency, 'ToronadoCash,' which appears to be a meme coin, launched an account on X earlier this year. The account, which has 56 followers, is only following one other account, which appears to belong to Orion Parrott. 3 Bay Area Cal State schools to merge administrative services amid budget crunch The Toronado, which occupies neighboring addresses at 543 and 547 Haight Street, was listed for sale in January for $1.75 million. In a separate report, the San Francisco Chronicle said it had confirmed that bar's sale with a source. The reported sale of the famously cash-only bar to a 'crypto bro' has been met with a mix of consternation and disbelief. 'April Fool's is next week,' said one poster in the Toronado Drinkers Facebook group. 'Please tell me this is satire…if not, this is an absolute worst case scenario,' said another. has not independently confirmed the sale of the bar. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
