"Shanghai Kelly's, a celebrated San Francisco bar on the corner of Polk Street and Broadway, is many things to many different people. To the area's service industry pros, it's a place you can come after a hard shift and expect a Fernet on the house; to displaced East Coast expats, it's a sports refuge; and to many of the city's Gen Z workers, it's an affordable spot at which to start and/or finish a raucous night out."
"Shanghai Kelly's is owned and run by father-son duo Mark and Johnny Jennings. The elder Jennings was part of a group that purchased the bar for $75,000 in 1985. Earlier this year, the Polk Street neighborhood mainstay celebrated its 40th anniversary, an achievement that earned recognition from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. But bars by different names occupied the popular corner lot long before Jennings and his team took over."
Shanghai Kelly's sits at Polk Street and Broadway and functions as a community second home for many San Franciscans. The bar welcomes service-industry workers with gestures like free Fernet, offers a sports refuge for displaced East Coast expats, and provides an affordable nightlife option for Gen Z patrons. The establishment is owned and operated by father-son Mark and Johnny Jennings after a 1985 purchase for $75,000. The bar marked its 40th anniversary and received recognition from Mayor Daniel Lurie. Earlier businesses on the corner included the Tender Trap and Joe Lady's, likely part of Polk Gulch. Proximity to House of Prime Rib contributes to the bar’s after-shift crowd and ubiquitous red to-go bags.
Read at SFGATE
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