San Francisco’s Toronado Pub, which became a nationally renowned craft beer bar, has a new owner.
San Francisco resident and Toronado regular William Lewis, along with his brother-in-law, Wallace Pringle, will take over the bar from founder Dave Keene, who opened the Haight Street watering hole nearly 40 years ago. They are now listed on the bar’s beer and wine license, according to California Alcoholic Beverage Control records.
SFGate first reported the sale, noting that Lewis has two decades of experience working in finance and technology, while Pringle has worked as a bartender and holds a Cicerone certification, which is similar to a sommelier certification for beer. Keene will still be connected with the bar after the sale as an ambassador, SFGate also reports. (SFGate and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently.)
Keene was not immediately available for comment.
Under Keene, Toronado became a mainstay for local craft beer aficionados. It featured 50 taps lined with rare and sought-after beers, such as Pliny the Younger from Santa Rosa’s Russian River Brewing Company. The cash-only bar has managed to maintain its feel over the years, reminiscent of San Francisco before the tech boom, with a lived-in patina and walls covered in stickers.
The sale puts an end to a nearly 18-month saga that began when Keene announced his retirement in January 2025, listing Toronado and an adjacent commercial space for $1.75 million. That March, a manager at a crypto investment firm put in a bid, planning to launch a cryptocoin, ToronadoCash, after the acquisition. By June, the controversial sale had fallen apart.