Toronado, the Lower Haight beer bar long treated as a pilgrimage site for San Francisco craft beer fans, is officially changing hands. Longtime regular William “Bill” Lewis and his brother-in-law Wallace “Wall” Pringle are now listed as the bar’s new owners, while founder Dave Keene is stepping back and will stay on as an ambassador. The pub, celebrated for its deep tap list and famously cash-only policy, is set to keep pouring through the ownership transfer, with no immediate changes announced to staff or programming.
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Lewis and Pringle now appear as the licensees on Toronado’s beer-and-wine records with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The Chronicle also points to the bar’s roughly 50 taps and its pull as a national destination for serious beer drinkers.
How the sale unfolded
Keene announced his retirement in January 2025 and put Toronado and an adjacent commercial space on the market, with the property listed for $1.75 million, according to Eater SF. A contested sale last year, including a March 2025 bid by a crypto-investment manager who floated the idea of a Toronado-branded coin, unraveled by June, according to The SF Standard. Local coverage followed each twist as regulars fretted that the bar’s personality could get lost in the shuffle.
Who the buyers are
Bill Lewis brings about two decades in finance and technology, including roles at Zynga and Facebook and a stint as chief financial officer at Catch+Release, while Pringle is a certified Cicerone with bartending experience, according to a news release shared with SFGATE. Keene reportedly said, “The history, the atmosphere, and the community have to remain intact,” and the buyers say they are not planning any immediate operational changes.
Why it matters to the neighborhood
For generations of Lower Haight regulars, Toronado has been more than a bar; it has been part of the neighborhood’s fabric. Hoodline coverage and the initial sale listing last year drew wide local attention, particularly because the listing included the two-unit commercial property at 543–547 Haight Street. The new owners’ public commitment to preserving the pub’s atmosphere has, at least for now, eased some regulars’ fears of sweeping changes.
With the ownership transfer already reflected in license records and both buyers rooted in the city, the near-term outlook is continuity: Toronado will stay open in its familiar Lower Haight form as the final paperwork is processed. This story will be updated if and when the California ABC posts the formal transfer or if Keene or the new owners announce further changes.
