logo
A tech investor's plan to buy a landmark S.F. bar has turned into a tortured battle

A tech investor's plan to buy a landmark S.F. bar has turned into a tortured battle

Orion Parrott wants to be the next owner of Toronado. But Toronado may not want him.
Regulars of the legendary San Francisco beer bar have known about Parrott since March, when the San Francisco Standard published a leaked chat from the encrypted messaging app Telegram in which this 'crypto bro' declared he was buying the bar — and planning to launch an associated crypto coin. They were not happy. 'Please tell me this is satire…if not, this is an absolute worst case scenario,' one wrote on a Facebook group for fans of the bar. 'I definitely would never go back if this sale is real,' wrote another.
But Parrott, a partner in Orange DAO, a fund that invests in cryptocurrency startups, seemed determined to win them over. In frequent posts in the Facebook group, he promised that he wants to preserve Toronado's legacy. And in late May, Parrott told me that his deal to buy the 38-year-old bar was moving forward and that he was ready to talk about his plans.
Could a member of the tech elite really steward a famously nonconformist institution like Toronado? I met him there last Friday afternoon to learn more — and discovered that the question of who will be Toronado's next owner is still uncertain. By the end of the afternoon, Toronado bartenders would be yelling expletives at Parrott. They'd be screaming at a Chronicle photographer to leave the bar. And Toronado owner Dave Keene would be calling me in a panic, repeating over and over 'I own the Toronado! He does not!'
When I passed through the bar's dutch door, I expected to see this allegedly soon-to-be-owner behind the bar, or at least chatting with the staff. Looking like he, you know, owned the place. But Parrott was clearly not an insider. He sat at a table against the wall, waving at me with a timid smile.
Parrott knows he is an unlikely suitor. Toronado is as beloved for its beer selection, often referred to as 'Broadway for brewers,' as for being a holdout of a pre-tech boom San Francisco. With its sticky floors, graffitied bathroom stalls and cash-only policy, the bar is a visceral reminder that Haight Street was once the center of counterculture.
Parrott, by contrast, comes from San Francisco's tech mainstream. He has launched mortgage-software and home-restoration startups, been through the Y Combinator accelerator and received his MBA from Berkeley. Although he invests in cryptocurrency companies, he disputes that he qualifies as a 'bro.'
He's never owned a bar before and doesn't have a particularly storied history with this one. As we sat in Toronado's parklet with our beers on Friday afternoon, he said, 'I had honestly not been here a lot of times before, but I've been going to Zeitgeist for 15 years.' He's loved sour beer since trying Duchesse de Bourgogne for the first time in 2007.
When he heard in January that the bar along with its building was listed for $1.75 million, he said, 'I had to jump on it.' He put together a group of investors and beat out at least two other offers.
'I'm told most dudes kind of vaguely want to have a bar,' he said with a smile. 'And yeah, that does sound fun, but this is a very special place, obviously.' The history and longevity impressed him. He worried that some prospective buyers might close Toronado and replace it with something that didn't serve the neighborhood as much, like a chain restaurant.
Parrott thought he could be the one to save it. 'People want this bar, so we're here to keep it around,' he said. 'It's not a charity, but my expectation is there's things we can do behind the scenes to make it better survive on its own.'
Indeed, Parrott thinks Toronado can be very profitable. He wants to open a restaurant in the adjacent storefront, also included in the sale, formerly a Rosamunde Sausage Grill. A 'locally successful purveyor of food' is interested in operating it. He sees opportunities in merch and 'content,' like a YouTube channel, inspired by the San Francisco skater brand Thrasher. Also, Parrott envisions a 3,000-square-foot rooftop beer garden. 'We've done some structural analysis, and it looks like no problem,' he said of the roof.
He's trying to walk a fine line between pitching the financial promise to investors, he said, and convincing the community that he won't change much.
'We're here to maintain (Keene's) legacy,' he said. 'A lot of people are worried that I'm going to ruin it. What would be the point of that? That would make no business sense.' He intends to keep all staff, 'because they know how to run the place.' Although he'd originally planned to launch a cryptocurrency tied to the bar called ToronadoCash, he abandoned it after the news leaked because 'people hated it so much.' Using a platform called Lofty, he'll offer community members the chance to buy small amounts of equity in the bar, for as little as $50, which will be 'like trading a baseball card.'
He cited Blue Bottle Coffee as 'an amazing example of a company that didn't sell out and grew and stayed true to its roots. Now, not everybody agrees with that.' (Blue Bottle sold to Nestlé in 2017.) 'Some people are going to be all up in arms, like, does that imply an acquisition to a corporation someday? It's like, maybe, maybe not, right?'
As he spoke, an angry bartender approached our table. 'Excuse me, can I interrupt?' he demanded. 'You take a picture of the bar? Don't include regulars then post it on the internet. They don't want to f—ing be seen publicly.'
Before I'd arrived, Parrott had taken a photo of the beer wall, as Toronado's menu is known, and posted it to the Toronado Facebook group. He promised the bartender he'd delete it right away. 'It got five likes already, but I took it down,' he said to me. 'I just remember somebody was saying they wish people would post the beer wall more often, so when I come in, I try to take a picture.'
The interaction shook Parrott, and he seemed distracted for a few minutes. 'I don't know if my plan of being open and transparent with people is a winning plan,' he sighed. The vitriol he's received on social media has been discouraging. He's never actually spoken with Keene. 'The brokers have communicated that Dave doesn't want to sell it to me,' he said, 'but I don't know if I trust them.' Surely the guy wouldn't have accepted his offer if he didn't want Parrott to buy the bar — right?
Our interview wrapped up, and my Chronicle colleague Gabrielle Lurie arrived to photograph Parrott. He warned us that she might need to stay outdoors, since the staff might not want photos taken inside the bar. After the earlier confrontation, I suspected he was right. When Lurie went inside and asked permission, Toronado employees screamed at her, told her to leave and demanded she give them her phone number. Minutes later, Keene called her. The tone of the call was so aggressive, Lurie said, that she hung up.
I asked Lurie for Keene's number so that I could call him myself. Before I could finish dialing, he was calling me.
Keene was deeply upset. The only thing he would say on the record — and he said it several times — was 'I own the Toronado! He does not!'
Three days later, Parrott heard from Keene's lawyers.
According to Parrott, Keene's position is that because Parrott did not waive certain contingencies within a given period of time, he is no longer under contract to buy Toronado. Parrott said that he couldn't waive those contingencies because they hinge on receiving documents that Keene's brokers have not handed over. Keene's agent Katy Lynn declined to comment for this story.
This sort of dispute is unusual but not unheard of in San Francisco commercial real estate, said Cheryl Maloney, a broker with Vanguard Properties (and the owner of La Ciccia restaurant). Once a deal is under contract, a seller has limited options to cancel. 'Depending on the language of the contract, it's unclear if the seller can pull out or not,' Maloney said.
In some cases, a seller's refusal to sign the final paperwork could constitute a breach of contract and result in a lawsuit, said Cameron Baird, senior vice president of the commercial real estate agency Avison Young. 'It would come down to who wants to spend the most money to win,' he said.
But even if a buyer prevails, more roadblocks may remain. 'If the neighborhood doesn't like the guy that's going in, they could make his life very annoying,' Baird said. 'Opposing every permit, appealing every liquor license transfer. They could make it really uncomfortable.'
Parrott thought this tortured courtship was a battle he could win. He never expected that Keene would want to pull out of the deal. He isn't giving up yet, but for the first time, he's beginning to question it.
'I think there was a time when they did want to sell to me,' he said. Now, he thought, 'There's a chance it doesn't go through, honestly.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Your Ring cameras weren't hacked over the weekend — here's what actually happened
Your Ring cameras weren't hacked over the weekend — here's what actually happened

Yahoo

time31 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Your Ring cameras weren't hacked over the weekend — here's what actually happened

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. If you noticed a flurry of unauthorized devices logged into your Ring account recently, you're not alone and no, you weren't hacked. As reported by BleepingComputer, Ring, which makes some of the best video doorbells and home security cameras, has revealed that a bug in a backend update led to customers around the world believing their accounts might have been hacked. In a post on Facebook, the company explained that it was aware of 'a bug that incorrectly displays prior login dates as May 28, 2025.' Ring also updated its status page, explaining that the bug led to information being incorrectly displayed within the Control Center in its app. The company also went on to say that 'we have no reason to believe this is the result of unauthorized access to customer accounts.' In addition to fake login entries, some Ring customers reported that they saw unknown devices, strange IP addresses and even countries they've never been to in their Authorized Client Devices list. As BleepingComputer points out, this led many of them to believe that these entries couldn't just be previous logins. To make matters worse, it took Ring a lot longer than many customers believed it would to reverse the faulty backend update that led to all this confusion in the first. In fact, even after three days, some users are still seeing logins from unrecognized devices. Likewise, some users reported seeing live view activity when no one within their household had accessed the app. At the same time, other customers reported that they didn't receive security alerts or multi-factor authentication prompts when new devices were added to their Ring app. How to keep your Ring account safe from hackers Seeing unauthorized devices access your video doorbell and home security cameras is certainly the kind of thing that can leave someone shaken up. It could also indicate that your account was hacked which is why this backend update bug led to an uproar online from Ring users. If you're worried about unauthorized devices accessing your Ring account, you can open the app, head to Control Center and then to Authorized Client Devices. There, you'll see a list of all devices and logins. If there are any there you don't recognize, then you should remove them immediately. Although Ring has done its best to assure users that this was not a data breach, it's still a good idea to change your password if you haven't done so recently. Just like with the rest of your online accounts, you want to ensure you're using a strong and complex password in the Ring app. If you have trouble coming up with passwords on your own or even just remembering them, then you might want to consider using one of the best password managers. Not only will they generate strong and unique passwords for all of your online accounts but a password manager also stores all of your credentials securely in one place so that they're easy to find. In addition to changing your Ring password, you should also set up two-factor authentication for your account if you haven't done so already. That way, anyone who tries to login to your account will also need a single-use code to gain access to it. I've reached out to Ring in regard to this recent backend update bug and will update this story accordingly if and when I learn more. In the meantime though, an incident like this one while scary could be the wake-up call you needed to start taking your online security more seriously. It's one thing to lose access to an account and it's another to potentially have strangers watching your every move online. When it comes to the best home security cameras, you always want to make sure that you keep their apps updated and that you're using a strong and complex password that you aren't using for any of your other online accounts. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide How to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for Ring cameras Which Ring Video Doorbell should you buy? Ring backtracks, lets cops once again request video from your doorbell and security cameras

Will Southwest Middlesex Say Yes to Wind Turbines?
Will Southwest Middlesex Say Yes to Wind Turbines?

Hamilton Spectator

timean hour ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Will Southwest Middlesex Say Yes to Wind Turbines?

SOUTHWEST MIDDLESEX – A recent presentation by Venfor Inc. proposing the construction of 17 wind turbines within the municipality has ignited a strong public backlash, as residents raise concerns over environmental impacts, long-term land use, and community transparency. On July 16, representatives from Venfor Inc. appeared before council to present their plan to participate in Ontario's Long-Term 2 (LT2) electricity procurement process. The company seeks municipal approval in the form of a Municipal Support Resolution (MSR), a requirement for its bid submission to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) this fall. Peter Budd, a founding shareholder of Venfor Inc., emphasized the urgency of Ontario's energy shortage. 'We know we are short of electricity in Ontario,' Budd told council. 'We are importing. The demand is going to double by 2050.' He positioned the project as an opportunity for the municipality to secure new revenue streams through a Community Benefits Agreement, estimating $300,000 annually for every 100 megawatts of energy generated. Each proposed turbine would produce 6.1 megawatts, with the current configuration surpassing 100 megawatts. The company claims to have signed option and lease agreements with 17 landowners and offered $30,000 per year to each for hosting a turbine, potentially over 20 to 30 years. Deputy Mayor Mike Sholdice raised questions about the turbine count and compensation, while Councillor Ed Myers expressed concerns about groundwater contamination, citing 'horror stories in other municipalities.' Budd assured that a full hydrogeological study would be conducted, referencing lessons learned from past issues in Chatham-Kent. Despite these assurances, residents have voiced overwhelming opposition. A Facebook post by Deputy Mayor Sholdice requesting feedback on the proposal garnered over 100 public comments within days, with the vast majority opposing the project. Residents cited concerns about noise pollution, aesthetics, health impacts, and damage to wildlife and farmland. 'Wind turbines ruin the landscape and take away any sense of peace that comes with country living,' wrote one resident. Others questioned the lifespan and reliability of the technology, warning that 'they start severely degrading around 10–15 years' despite being marketed for 20–30 years of use. Water safety emerged as a particularly emotional flashpoint. One commenter claimed, 'This was our well water immediately after they started pile driving the H beams into the ground,' accompanied by a photo of visibly contaminated water. 'They hammered 100-foot steel beams into the aquifer… and the vibrations never let the sediment settle,' another added. These stories have prompted fears of long-term environmental degradation and public health risks. In response, a petition titled Say No to Wind Turbines in Southwest Middlesex was launched online and has begun collecting signatures from residents opposing the project. The sentiment shared among many is that while renewable energy is necessary, this particular development may impose too great a cost on the local community. The presentation also noted that Venfor intends to include First Nations equity partnerships and comply with all provincial regulations, including an Agricultural Impact Assessment and Environmental Review. However, some residents remained unconvinced, with several noting that Venfor is primarily a development firm and may sell the project once permits and agreements are secured. 'Venfor is not the company seeing the project through to decommissioning,' one commenter wrote. 'They won't be the ones honouring the original terms.' Mayor Allan Mayhew thanked the delegation and confirmed that council would deliberate further. 'The proposal cannot proceed without municipal support,' he said. Council is expected to make a decision by mid-October to meet the IESO's deadline. For now, the community remains sharply divided. While some landowners see financial incentive, many residents are calling for more public meetings and transparency before any resolution is passed. As one citizen wrote: 'If council votes yes, they should put them in their own backyard first and tell us how it works out.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

Instagram adds safety features to adult-run accounts featuring children
Instagram adds safety features to adult-run accounts featuring children

USA Today

time21 hours ago

  • USA Today

Instagram adds safety features to adult-run accounts featuring children

Meta is introducing additional safety features for teen users on its Instagram platform, including new safeguards in direct messaging aimed at preventing what the company calls "direct and indirect harm." The new features add on to its existing "teen accounts" and include a more prominent display of information about other users when messaging directly, new options to view safety tips and swiftly block an account, and extends existing teen account protections to accounts run by adults that primarily feature children. Meta's July 23 announcement is the latest in what has been a monthslong effort to enact greater protections for its teen users on Instagram, Facebook and Messenger amid a widening pressure campaign by activists, lawmakers and health officials demanding social media companies do more to protect younger users against mental health harm and sexual exploitation. Here's what to know about the new features. More: Meta and TikTok face lawsuit over NYC teen's 'subway surfing' death Teen accounts to see new restrictions in direct messaging Meta said in its July 23 statement on the update that teen users will now see the month and year an account joined when chatting with them directly, and teens will be able to more easily block and report another user while direct messaging. "These new features complement the Safety Notices we show to remind people to be cautious in private messages and to block and report anything that makes them uncomfortable – and we're encouraged to see teens responding to them," Meta said. "In June alone, they blocked accounts 1 million times and reported another 1 million after seeing a Safety Notice." Meta introduced teen accounts in September 2024 in response to increasing concerns over social media's impact on children and teens' mental health and safety and criticism that platforms do not do enough to protect minors. What are Instagram Teen Accounts? Here's what to know about the new accounts with tighter restrictions New safety features on adult-run accounts featuring children The most popular social media platforms in the U.S., such as Meta's Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, only allow users 13 years of age and older. On Instagram, adults are able to create accounts featuring or representing children if they disclose in the account bio that they manage the account, according to platform guidelines. This includes so-called family-influencer accounts that regularly share images of their children and accounts run by parents or talent managers that represent minors. "While these accounts are overwhelmingly used in benign ways, unfortunately there are people who may try to abuse them, leaving sexualized comments under their posts or asking for sexual images in DMs, in clear violation of our rules," Meta said of the adult-run accounts, which will be subject to several teen-account safety features as well in the coming months. Here's how these accounts will change: The company said it removed 135,000 Instagram accounts earlier this year for leaving sexualized comments or requesting sexual images from adult-managed accounts featuring children under 13. It removed an additional 500,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to those accounts. What are teen accounts on Instagram? See safety features The Instagram teen accounts are automatically assigned to any new users under the age of 18. They limit what users can see, who can message and interact with them, and enable parents to exercise more control over their teens' social media use. Safety features on teen accounts include: In April, the company announced it would start testing a protection feature in Instagram direct messages for teens under 18 that automatically blurs nude images, gives senders the option to unsend the images, and gives warning notices to both senders and recipients. Meta said 99% of users have kept the nudity blur turned on since it was introduced, and in June over 40% of blurred images received in direct messages stayed blurred. Social media platforms criticized over impact on minors Meta, alongside other social media platform owners, has faced years of criticism and hundreds of lawsuits from over the addictive nature of social media and safety for minors. In 2023, more than 40 U.S. states sued Meta for misleading the public about the dangers of its platforms, and in July 2024, the U.S. Senate advanced two online safety bills that would force social media companies to take responsibility for how their platforms affect children and teens. Contributing: Reuters Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store