Currently: Slurp Noodle Bar
Previously: Night Shift; Headquarters; Special; Nothing Special
469 Castro Street
San Francisco, California
Status: Restaurant
History
Summary
| Name | Dates of Operation |
| Night Shift | 1995 – 1997 |
| Headquarters | 1991 – 1995 |
| The Special | 1985 – 1991 |
| Nothing Special | 1972 – 1984 |
Details
In the 1950s or so, the bar at 469 Castro Street, called Club Unique, proclaimed itself to be,“The gayest spot in town!” Naturally, they were using the term differently; it didn’t actually become a gay bar until it became Nothing Special in 1972 – a name that Uncle Donald’s Castro Street says was apt.
Nothing Special became the Special in 1985, which lasted about six years. Then in 1991 it became Headquarters, a bar with a sort of camouflage/military theme.
It finally became Night Shift in 1995, which lasted about two years before the spot became a restaurant. Fuzio’s, a pasta fusion chain, occupied the spot for many years before announcing in April of 2011 that they were closing due to “extraordinary repairs and maintenance issues,” according to the Bay Area Reporter.
In September of that same year, Sam Sirhed, a restaurateur who was then on the Board of Under One Roof, announced plans to open Fork Café in the spot. He purchased the building, which includes two residential flats, and had it painted with a mural of the San Francisco skyline. Fork Café had a “soft opening” in May of 2012, with their official grand opening in June.
In September of 2014, Fork began plans to retool, and they reopened in early October as Slurp Noodle Bar, a pan-Asian noodle place with entrees like ramen, pho and laksa.
Sources
Bajko, Matthew S., “Castro serves up new dining scene,” Bay Area Reporter, September 29, 2011.
Bracco, Steve, “Slurp Noodle Bar Soft Opening Tonight,” Castro Bubble, October 1, 2014.
Flournoy, Roy, “Business Briefs: A new Castro landmark, just in time for Pride,” Bay Area Reporter, June 14, 2012.
Flournoy, Roy, “Business Briefs: Celebrating small businesses,” Bay Area Reporter, May 10, 2012.
Flournoy, Roy, “Parklet controversy comes amidst spate of Castro closures,” Bay Area Reporter, April 14, 2011.
Leyland, Winston, Out in the Castro: Desire, Promise, Activism, Leyland Publications, 2002, ISBN 0-943595-88-6.
“Matchbox Covers,” Uncle Donald’s Castro Street.
Location
469 Castro Street, San Francisco
How cool! Thank you for writing this. My grandparents owned Club Unique! ❤️ The Castro is such a magical place very dear to my heart!
I knew Larry Ohdner when he owned the Headquarters bar back in 1997. He hired me to make custom Dog Tags on Friday and Saturday nights. I would wear my Marine Corps Utilities and I used to make really good tips. Then Larry decided to change the bar to the Nightshift, and business really went downhill. The Headquarters was really popular, especially with the military / cop / leather crowd. We would be packed, and the place was jumping… It was a lot of fun working there…. I still have really fond memories of the place.