As one Castro neighborhood restaurant mainstay is up for grabs, a nearby food business is expanding its reach to another of the state's LGBTQ hamlets.
Orphan Andy's, a diner where many late-night revelers ended up in the wee hours of the morning to the smell of coffee and pancakes at 3991 17th Street, has yet to find a new owner. Meanwhile, around the corner at 407 Castro Street, the proprietors of Hot Cookie have plans to open their first location outside of San Francisco.
They are bringing their famous cookies to Southern California this fall with a location in Palm Springs. It will be located at 155 South Palm Canyon Drive, which is near the LGBTQ vacation and retirement mecca's queer bars on East Arenas Boulevard.
"With the Palm Springs heat in mind, Hot Cookie's signature cookies are about to get even sweeter - by offering options for pairing them with ice cream for a match made in dessert heaven," a news release from the gay-owned business stated.
Hot Cookie co-owner Ryan Jones told the Bay Area Reporter that his business has acquired Jus Chillin' in Palm Springs. They'll be running the frozen dessert shop till a soft opening in the fall followed by a grand opening tied to Palm Springs Pride weekend, which is October 31-November 2 this year.
"Palm Springs has long been a second home for San Franciscans, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. With so many making the move full-time in recent years, it felt like the perfect place to bring Hot Cookie beyond the Bay Area," Jones stated. "We're thrilled to be expanding while staying true to the flavors, fun, and community spirit that define us."
Hot Cookie has been open since 1997 and is known locally for warm treats like the Basic Bitch and the Fudge Packer. There is another San Francisco location at 1817 Polk Street, near LGBTQ bar The Cinch.
Strong interest in diner purchase
As for Orphan Andy's, co-owner Bill Pung told the B.A.R. in a March 12 phone interview that he and his husband, Dennis Ziebell, have yet to finalize a sale of the eatery. They had put the business on the market earlier this month with a sales price of $250,000.
"We're at a fork in the road," Pung, 69, said. "Getting older – nobody wants to work till they're not able to anymore."
Pung told the B.A.R. that while there's no buyer yet, there is tremendous interest. Patrick Totah of the Restaurant Realty Company is handling the sale, and per the listing, the business brings in annual revenue of nearly $2 million and has a monthly rent of $8,500.
"While the diner is deeply rooted in tradition, a few minor updates and modern enhancements could boost profitability even further, ensuring its continued success for decades to come. Owning this diner is more than just a business opportunity-it's a chance to steward a beloved cultural institution," according to the listing.
Ziebell, 75, took over the diner in 1977 and three decades later added Pung as a co-owner. At age 22, Ziebell began working at Andy's Donuts, which was at 460 Castro Street. He ended up owning the donut shop, and when it closed, Ziebell wanted to keep the name, and thus Orphan Andy's was born.
"We've seen a lot," said Pung, who lives with Ziebell in an apartment above the diner. "I have nothing bad to say about anything. We're thankful and grateful. We survived the AIDS epidemic, a terrible time in our history."
Orphan Andy's also weathered COVID, though that's when the restaurant began to close weekday nights. It closes at 9:45 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights to open at 8 a.m. the following mornings but stays open all Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. If there's a holiday Monday, then the diner is open all Sunday night.
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