SF’s Bottom of the Hill will live on under a new owner in 2027, with a longtime patron taking over the business and pledging to preserve its independent spirit, while the original owners will keep the building to help ensure it remains a music venue.Bottom of the Hill’s longtime owners, Kathleen Owen, Ramona Downey, and Lynn Schwarz, announced the news in an interview with Coyote Media Tuesday that the Potrero Hill venue will continue operating under new ownership in 2027. Michele Bronson, a longtime patron who has purchased the business, reportedly plans to retain the existing staff and preserve the club’s reputation as an independent venue for emerging artists. The 247-capacity club will close for at least a month for kitchen and bar upgrades needed to meet city codes, along with changes to its website and ticketing system.The change of plans follows the owners’ announcement in early January that they intended to close Bottom of the Hill at the end of 2026, as SFist reported at the time. According to Coyote, they initially leaned toward shutting down rather than selling the business, but the response from musicians, booking agents, and longtime patrons prompted them to reconsider. The owners reportedly received nearly 40 inquiries from potential buyers before settling on Bronson, whose enthusiasm for the club and business experience helped win their trust.Coyote reports that Bronson moved to San Francisco in the early 1990s after earning a PhD in molecular biology from UT Southwestern Medical Center. She went on to help launch or lead five biotech startups over three decades, working on drug development, including cancer treatments, while regularly attending live shows. She has been a Bottom of the Hill regular since the club’s early years and reportedly plans to take over booking herself, at least initially, with help from the current staff, her family, and Schwarz, who has been training her.According to Coyote, Owen and Downey will retain ownership of the 115-year-old property, including its two second-floor apartments, while Bronson takes over the club’s business and name. The owners decided to keep the real estate after recognizing that selling it could leave the venue vulnerable to redevelopment, even if a buyer initially promised to maintain it as a music club. Bronson said she intends to maintain the club’s independent character and its tradition of putting local bands on bills alongside touring acts, while also preserving its policy of not taking a cut of artists’ merchandise sales. She also hopes to bring back the venue’s Sunday barbecues, a regular gathering during its early years, and has reportedly confirmed a couple of shows for 2027 that have yet to be announced.The owners told Coyote the venue’s future will depend on that same community continuing to show up. Schwarz has reportedly collected hundreds of pages of appreciative messages from patrons, while Downey has heard stories from people who first attended shows as teenagers and now bring their own children.[Update] Bottom of the Hill's current owners announced a weeklong bash at the end of December in celebration of their "35 legendary years" operating the venue. Previously: Seminal SF Live Music Venue Bottom of the Hill to Close at the End of 2026 After 35 Years ...read more read less