A storied San Francisco jazz club that fell victim to the pandemic and a landlord dispute more than three years ago is set to reopen Thursday night under new ownership, bringing live music back to the heart of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
The Deluxe—originally known as Club Deluxe—has undergone a two-year restoration process. Its new owners hope the revived space will tap into San Francisco’s ongoing post-pandemic rebound and serve as a crucial hub for live entertainment and creativity.
Christian Beaulieu and co-owner Jay Bordeleau are taking over a space that has been a neighborhood fixture since 1928. Over the last 98 years, the building has served as a creamery, a tailor shop, a gay disco, and a swingin’ jazz club.
During the restoration process, workers uncovered various artifacts inside the walls highlighting the building’s past lives. Despite the extensive overhaul, the new owners recognize that the venue’s identity belongs to the community.
“I feel it belongs more to the regulars and to the neighborhood than it does to me,” Bordeleau said. “I’m just allowed to be the steward of the space right now.”
The reopening comes at a transitional time for the city’s music scene. While the owners look forward to welcoming long-term patrons, they are also aiming to attract a new generation of artists and listeners.
According to Beaulieu, a new wave of jazz musicians is breathing life into the local scene by blending traditional sounds with modern genres.
“A lot of people are coming to play the room for the first time,” Beaulieu said. “And then there’s also a cross-pollination of electronic music and jazz happening that’s very popular.”
The owners are also eyeing San Francisco’s current artificial intelligence technology boom. They hope some of the wealth generated by the tech industry will find its way into the local arts scene, preserving the city’s cultural heritage.
“The city is beautiful because people before us patronized the arts,” Bordeleau said, emphasizing that digital conveniences cannot replace the visceral experience of a live performance. “People want that in-life, real, tangible… you can’t DoorDash a band.”