SAN FRANCISCO — For those wondering about whatever happened to the Armory Club, the bar and lounge that’s kitty-corner from Kink.com’s former studio space, the Armory, there’s some really good news.
The Armory Club plans to stay put at 1799 Mission St. and keep the drinks flowing.
“While production [at Kink] has moved on, and the company has taken new offices, we’re glad to be able to keep that spirit alive in San Francisco,” Armory Club manager Jason Humberstone told Eater SF.
“The Armory Club has benefited from being part of the Kink family, but our success never rested on that, ”Humberstone said. “Over the years, we built up a dedicated clientele by providing well-made, creative cocktails in a unique and liberated setting. There wasn’t anything like it when we opened, and there’s still nothing like it.”
The Armory Club — featuring a modernized Victorian decor with tin ceilings, damask wallpaper, cast iron fireplaces, leather seating, vintage lights and under-lit amber onyx bars — opened up shop in 2012, during the rising years of the BDSM studio, and served as a Kink studio clubhouse for years.
The Armory Club is still owned by Kink’s founder and CEO, Peter Acworth, but was unaffected by the Armory’s sale.
The San Francisco Business Times recently confirmed that the Armory was sold to operators of Soho House, a nationwide hotel operator that likely will convert the 200,000-square-foot historic landmark to an upscale social club.
The Armory sold for a reported $65 million in February. Kink bought it for $14.5 million in 2006.
Check out the Armory Club's website here.
