Bimbo's 365 Club, also known as Bimbo's 365, is an entertainment club located at 1025
Columbus Avenue in San Francisco. It specializes in live rock and jazz shows. The location is one of San Francisco's oldest nightclub sites, and has operated under two names with a series of owners. The building started as Bal Tabarin in 1931, the same year that the 365 Club started at 365
Market Street. The two locations under separate ownership consolidated in 1951 to one location owned by
Agostino "Bimbo" Giuntoli.
History
365 Club
Giuntoli was born and raised in
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence.
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
, Italy; and, in 1922 at the age of 19, he began to work his way to
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
. He labored as a janitor at the
Palace Hotel and then as a cook nearby, where Monk Young, the young cook's boss, was unable to pronounce his name. Young called him ''bimbo'' instead, Italian for "boy", and the nickname stuck.
The 365 Club began in 1931 as a
speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a beer flat or blind pig or blind tiger, was an illicit establishment that sold alcoholic beverages. The term may also refer to a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies.
In the United State ...
and after-hours gambling club, located at 365 Market Street in San Francisco, owned by Young and managed by Giuntoli. It soon became the most popular illicit drinking establishment in town.
Musical artists and dancers showcased their work, including a young
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...
dancing in the chorus line.
[ An optical illusion achieved by mirrors made the large fish tank above the bar appear to have a nude woman swimming in it.][ Bar patrons marveled at Dolfina, "the Girl in the Fishbowl".]
In 1950, "Bimbo" Giuntoli, by that time sole owner of the 365 Club, arranged to purchase 1025 Columbus Avenue and transfer his operation there.[
]
Bal Tabarin
The Columbus Avenue site was originally known as the Bal Tabarin, a nightclub that featured dancing to famous bands and a multi-act floor show including a line of showgirls.[ Restaurateur and businessman Bob Grison partnered with popular bandleader Tom Gerun (born Gerunovich)] and Frank Martinelli, manager of a nightclub called the Roof Garden, to establish a nightclub in 1930. Gerunovich's orchestra had played at the Roof Garden (northwest corner of Broadway and Kearny streets) from 1928 to 1930 and made several 78 rpm records for the Brunswick label. During a nationwide tour in mid-1929 he anglicized his name to Gerun. In 1931, in anticipation of the repeal of Prohibition in the United States
The Prohibition era was the period from 1920 to 1933 when the United States prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, an ...
, architect Timothy L. Pflueger was contracted to create an elegant, sophisticated nightclub and cocktail bar. The bar itself was implemented in the Moderne style later called Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
.[ The stage design used Pflueger's patented indirect lighting hidden behind curved strips of decorative metal.] The color coming from behind the façade could be changed smoothly from one hue to another. Two years later, with alcohol bans officially lifted nationwide, the Bal Tabarin was issued California's first new liquor license, and in 1934 Pflueger gave the nightclub a quick renovation.[ The popularity of the club netted for Pflueger a series of contracts to design cocktail lounges for prominent hotels in San Francisco, including the Cirque Room at the Fairmont Hotel (which survives in its entirety, though it is no longer in use as a bar) and the Mark Hopkins' Top of the Mark, the interior of which has been remodeled to the point where no trace of the original design remains.
In 1936, a 13-year-old ]Ann Miller
Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004) was an American actress and dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the classical Hollywood cinema musical film, musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early fi ...
took a job dancing at Bal Tabarin, by lying about her age – local law required workers to be 18 in a restaurant that served alcohol. On a night when Miller was appearing alongside Sophie Tucker
Sophie Tucker (born Sofia Kalish; January 13, 1886 – February 9, 1966) was a Russian-born American singer, comedian, actress, and radio personality. Known for her powerful delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popula ...
and Tony Martin, Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...
and an RKO Pictures
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...
studio agent came to watch the show. Miller was signed to RKO shortly afterwards, – though some sources say this occurred at The Black Cat Club.
Owner Tom Gerun contracted for several more show runs with Sophie Tucker through the 1940s. The club put on two floor shows a night, one at 9 or 9:30 and one starting around midnight. Gerun took the show some south to Fort Ord
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
to entertain U.S. Army troops for a special engagement in August 1941. Other bands taking part in the show were Carl Ravazza
Carl Ravazza (July 21, 1910 – July 28, 1968), also known professionally as Carl Ravell, was an American violinist, vocalist and bandleader.
Born in Alameda, California, Ravazza was a violinist who also started singing when he was in the Anson ...
and his Palace Hotel Band, and Robert Nurok and his band from the Alcazar nightclub. Coming from the Bal Tabarin were Bob Saunders and his band, Señor Wences
Wenceslao Moreno Centeno (April 17, 1896 – April 20, 1999),
TV.com, accessed September 5, 2018. known prof ...
(a ventriloquist), singer-actress Gertrude Niesen
Gertrude Niesen (July 8, 1911 – March 27, 1975) was an American Torch song, torch singer, actress, comedian, and songwriter who achieved popular success in musical theatre, musicals and films in the 1930s and 1940s.
Early years
Niesen wa ...
, and the Duncan Sisters
The Duncan Sisters (Rosetta and Vivian Duncan) were an American vaudeville duo who became popular in the 1920s with their act ''Topsy and Eva''.
Biography
Early career
Rosetta (November 23, 1894Sources differ on their birth dates. These are tak ...
with their vaudeville act. After World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
started in earnest for the United States, Martinelli joked with a ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' reporter that it was easy to get big-name stars to perform at his club, but asked "can you tell me where I can get one waiter and two dishwashers? Those are the rare birds these days." After the war, Gerun hosted NBC broadcasts of Ted Lewis and his band, announced by Bill Roddy, performed live from the nightclub's stage. This activity was not enough to keep the club solvent – in 1947 ''Billboard'' reported their doors shut for a time so that the owners could save money as they attempted to sign a major musical artist. Gerun and Martinelli also admitted they were seeking a buyer for the place.
Bimbo's 365
In November 1950, Gerun and Martinelli sold the property to Agustino "Bimbo" Giuntoli for a reported $100,000, the equivalent of $ in current value. The arrangement allowed the former owners to operate through January 1951, giving Giuntoli the keys on February 1.[ Giuntoli planned to hold the 365 Club on 365 Market Street open until July 1, 1951, when renovations to the former Bal Tabarin were to be completed.][ The new location was to be named Bimbo's 365.][ Giuntoli expanded the kitchen and added another bar but kept the older Pflueger bar in its original place.][
Giuntoli's new location was soon a success, with engagements by musical artists such as accordionist ]Dick Contino
Richard Joseph "Dick" Contino (January 17, 1930 – April 19, 2017) was an American accordionist and singer.
Early life
Contino was born in Fresno, California. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Contino, and he attended Fresno High School. H ...
, Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat (; ; 1 January 1900 – 27 October 1990) was an American musician and bandleader who was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. Originally from Girona, Spain, he
spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba, before arriving i ...
with Charo
María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza, professionally known by her stage name Charo, is a Spanish-born actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco guitarist who rose to international prominence in the 1960s on American television, as well ...
, singer and trumpeter Louis Prima
Louis Leo Prima (; December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American trumpeter, singer, entertainer, and bandleader. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he ...
, bandleader and trumpeter Ray Anthony
Ray Anthony (born Raymond Antonini; January 20, 1922) is an American retired bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter and actor. He is the last living member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Biography
Anthony was born to an Italian family in Bentleyv ...
, entertainer Joey Bishop
Joseph Abraham Gottlieb (February 3, 1918 – October 17, 2007), known professionally as Joey Bishop, was an American entertainer who appeared on television as early as 1948 and eventually starred in his own weekly comedy series playing a Talk ...
, lounge music composer Esquivel and many more.[ Comedians such as ]Sid Caesar
Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950–1954) ...
, Rodney Dangerfield
Jack Roy (born Jacob Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), better known by the stage name Rodney Dangerfield, was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, ...
, Shecky Greene
Shecky Greene (born Fred Sheldon Greenfield; April 8, 1926 – December 31, 2023) was an American comedian and actor. He was known for his nightclub performances in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he became a headliner in the 1950s and 1960s. He appea ...
and Totie Fields
Totie Fields (born Sophie Feldman; May 7, 1930 – August 2, 1978) was an American comedian.
Early life
Fields was born Sophie Feldman in Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut. She started singing in Boston clubs while still in high schoo ...
performed.[ Popular columnist ]Herb Caen
Herbert Eugene Caen (; April 3, 1916 February 1, 1997) was a San Francisco humorist and journalist whose daily columnist, column of local goings-on and insider gossip, social and political happenings, and offbeat puns and anecdotes—"A continuo ...
commented favorably on the array of acts, writing "Bimbo's asjugglers, dance teams, stand-up comics, crooners, chantootsies, Stage Door Johns, a proper band in proper uniforms ... multi-course dinners, red sparkling burgundy in the silver bucket..."[ as well as magician/movie actor Channing Pollock. In the late 1960s, the club expanded from its lounge atmosphere to put artists such as ]Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...
and the Miracles
The Miracles (later known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1955. They were the first successful recording act for Motown Records and are considered one of the most ...
, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...
, Dionne Warwick
Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...
, Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling musicians of all time.
He has written and ...
, Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...
and The Fifth Dimension
The 5th Dimension is an American vocal group. Their music encompasses sunshine pop, pop soul, and psychedelic soul. They were an important crossover music act of the 1960s and 1970s, although both praised and derided for their particular music ...
on the bill.[
In 1970, Giuntoli retired. For the next 18 years, the building was mostly closed, available only on a rental basis for private parties. One notable series of dates was in 1975 when local promoter David Allen put ]The Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their self-titled 1975 debut album included the single " White Punks on Dope", while their 1983 single " She's a Beauty" was a top-10 U.S. hit and its music video was frequently played in the ear ...
on stage, extending their show week after week in response to standing-room only
An event is described as standing-room only when it is so well-attended that all of the chairs in the venue are occupied, leaving only flat spaces of pavement or flooring for other attendees to stand, at least those spaces not restricted by occup ...
crowds. The Stooges
The Stooges or Iggy and the Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexande ...
also appeared once in early 1974, playing to a sparse crowd, with lead singer Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...
wearing only bikini briefs and boots on stage. During his performance, he jumped into a small group of fans in front of the stage and his bikini briefs were removed by one of them. He regained the stage while yelling in anger at a female fan who had been handling his genitals.[ In 1988, Giuntoli's grandson Michael Cerchiai reopened the property for a run as a live entertainment venue.][ As of 2014, the club is still there, owned and run by Cerchiai, who celebrated his eighth birthday there with a Batman-themed cake, while ]Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...
played live.
In recent years, the club has hosted Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...
(2008), Laura Marling
Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is an English Folk music, folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Brit Award for British Female Solo Artist, Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for th ...
(2011), The Black Angels (2012), and The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, vocals), Derek Brown ...
(2012).
Venue information
Currently, Bimbo's 365 Club is available for rental to private parties, owned and operated by Giuntoli's grandsons. Corporate clients such as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...
, Oracle
An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination.
Descript ...
and Yahoo!
Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
have engaged the club for company events. Artists such as Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. Noted for his reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and wide vocal range, he is popularly known for his breakthrough hit and sig ...
, Macy Gray
Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known professionally as Macy Gray, is an American contemporary R&B, R&B and soul music, soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influence ...
, Jewel and The Brian Setzer Orchestra have performed in recent years.[ British stars ]Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...
and Roni Size
Ryan Owen Granville Williams (born 29 October 1969), better known by his stage name Roni Size, is an English DJ and record producer. He came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and frontman of Roni Size & Reprazent, a drum and bass collective. ...
have appeared on stage.[
In 2000, production manager Scott Burke initiated a major refurbishment of the venue's sound system. He removed an aging ]Meyer Sound Laboratories
Meyer Sound Laboratories is an American company based in Berkeley, California that manufactures self-powered loudspeakers, multichannel audio show control systems, electroacoustic architecture, and audio analysis tools for the professional sound ...
system and installed a Nexo Alpha system, made by Nexo SA of France. Jim Sides, then of Nexo USA based in San Rafael, California
San Rafael ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Raphael (archangel), St. Raphael", ) is a city in and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of th ...
, helped Burke select Nexo dealer Art Yeap of Novo Group in San Francisco to head the project. The loudspeakers were rigged with care such that they did not block sight lines to the small side stage adjoining the main stage. A Midas
Midas (; ) was a king of Phrygia with whom many myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house.
His father was Gordias, and his mother was Cybele. The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek m ...
48-channel XL-200 mixing console
A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for Audio mixing (recorded music), mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals fro ...
was placed at the rear of the dance floor area, about from the main stage, for FOH sound mixing duties. Burke said in an interview that with a new sound system that was "transparent at amazing levels", he intended next to focus on upgrading the lighting system.
Bimbo's has a second bar near the kitchen, with a dance floor and performance space suitable for DJs or showcasing new acts. The room holds 150–200 people.[ In the main performance area, there are no balconies, and 125–475 people can be accommodated in booths and at tables on the terrace and dance floor for sit-down dinner served from the venue's full kitchen, available to outside caterers.][ If no dinner is planned, some 700 can watch the main stage, with theater-style seating on the dance floor and standing room at the bar.][
]
References
External links
Official website
Official Facebook page
{{Coord, 37.803727, -122.415591, region:US-CA_type:landmark, display=title
Jazz clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area
Music venues in San Francisco
Nightclubs in San Francisco
Russian Hill, San Francisco
Commercial buildings completed in 1931
Event venues established in 1931
1931 establishments in California