Bottom of the Hill will remain open under a new operator after its longtime owners announced plans to close the San Francisco rock club at the end of 2026. The handover preserves a roughly 250-capacity venue that has operated since 1991.
A new operator for the club
Owners Ramona Downey, Kathleen Owen and Lynn Schwarz announced the planned closure in January. By October, following support from musicians and regular customers, they had chosen longtime customer and biotech executive Michele Bronson to take over the business.
The owners said their decision to leave was personal, though they also described rising costs, pressure to keep tickets affordable and changes in San Francisco’s live music business. Annual insurance costs had reached around $34,000. They will retain the building, while Bronson plans to keep the venue’s name and much of its staff as she learns its booking operation.
Beyond concerts, the club has hosted fundraisers, memorials and other community gatherings.
The costs behind a show
A hypothetical 300-ticket venue illustrates how little margin a show can leave. If 210 people each buy a $25 net ticket and spend $14 at the bar, ticket and beverage receipts total $8,190.
With the artist receiving 70 per cent of ticket income, beverage costs at 35 per cent of sales, variable costs of 60 cents per attendee and $4,000 allocated to other venue costs, that show produces a modelled $640 deficit. Under the same assumptions, the venue breaks even at 250 paying attendees, about 83 per cent of capacity. These figures are an illustration, not Bottom of the Hill’s results.
A 2025 study prepared for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) found that 64 per cent of independent stages were not profitable in 2024. The study covered stages of different sizes. independent stages
Tour revenue and expenses
Artists face costs before shows generate income, too. In May 2026, Welsh band Los Campesinos! published accounts for its 11-date North American tour in June 2024. The band reported about $149,000 in show fees.
After deductions including agency commission, taxes and unexpected production costs, approximately £99,700 remained. The band itemised roughly £101,800 in touring costs, leaving a loss of about £2,090 on the shows.
Los Campesinos! reported approximately £40,300 in merchandise profit, which it said would help finance its next project rather than be distributed as individual earnings. The venues on that tour did not take a merchandise commission.
