Punch Line San Francisco

Dave Chapelle Rallies to Save Classic SF Comedy Club, the Punch Line, From Closure | Eater SF

"I believe San Francisco’s soul is at stake with the impending closure of the Punch Line at 444 Battery St.; comedian Dave Chappelle, Supervisor Aaron Peskin, and Bay Area comedians W. Kamau Bell and Nato Green rallied at City Hall for the #savethepunchline campaign after the club announced it couldn’t renew its lease. Peskin has nominated the business for legacy status and is pushing for a zoning measure to keep the building an entertainment venue — the property is owned by a Morgan Stanley subsidiary and operated by Live Nation, and Peskin warned a potential new tenant could be Google. Opened in 1978 and sold to promoter Bill Graham in 1980, the club helped launch stars like Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, and Margaret Cho and is known for its small menu of nachos, salads, flatbreads, and gimmicky cocktails. Chapelle called it one of the country’s premier, legendary comedy rooms—on par with the Comedy Cellar—and said it became like a home to him, while Bell warned that losing the Punch Line would be “basically a wrap on San Francisco.”" - Ellen Fort