For those who never made it to the original, Club DeLuxe was one of those increasingly rare SF institutions: a neighborhood bar with actual character, live music, and drinks that didn't require a second mortgage. Its closure was yet another entry in the city's long and depressing ledger of small businesses that couldn't survive the regulatory gauntlet, pandemic fallout, and general dysfunction that San Francisco seems to specialize in exporting to its own entrepreneurs.

So the fact that someone is willing to take a swing at reviving the concept deserves, at minimum, a respectful nod and a cocktail raised in their direction.

But let's be honest about the landscape here. Opening — or reopening — a bar in San Francisco in 2025 is not for the faint of heart. Between the city's labyrinthine permitting process, ever-climbing commercial rents, and the ambient uncertainty that comes with doing business in a town where policy can shift with the political winds, the odds are stacked against any small operator. Every time a beloved spot closes and someone tries to bring it back, we should be asking: what are we doing as a city to make this easier instead of harder?

The answer, historically, is "not much."

Still, the Upper Haight could use more signs of life, and The DeLuxe aiming for a June reopening is exactly the kind of grassroots, entrepreneurial energy that actually revitalizes neighborhoods — no city grant or task force required. Here's hoping the permits come through faster than the fog rolls in. We'll believe it when we're sitting at the bar.