Updated: November 30th. Flaming Saddles owners have ceased negotiations over the purchase of Revolver. Owners Jacqui Squatriglia and Chris Barnes had reached terms of the purchase with Revolver owner Chris Miller. But the final negotiations would require landlord approval.
Golden West Properties is the owner of the building located at 801 Larrabee Street, which houses Revolver, BlockParty and the Surgeon’s Guild along with a number of offices on the second floor. Sources close to the matter told WEHOville that Flaming Saddles was interested in a new lease and the landlord was acceptable to the transfer. But the deal fell through when Flaming Saddles owners were not willing to provide a personal guarantee on the lease.
Commercial leases often require tenants to provide a ‘personal guarantee’ in exchange for a long term lease to the building premises. A personal guarantee on the lease is often collateralized against assets of the owners.
Miller who lives in New York recently became the executive producer of the Jimmy Fallon show.
April 3, 2022
Revolver, located at 8851 Santa Monica Blvd., is moving toward a sale. In a staff meeting last week, owner Chris Miller shared the confidential news to select staff members.
Flaming Saddles, owned by Jacqui Squatriglia and Chris Barnes, would not confirm or deny the rumors (wink, wink) but multiple sources have confirmed the deal is moving forward.
Larrabee Ventures Inc. is the owner of the property. Greg Dixson, the building manager, stated he has no knowledge of any pending sale. Dixson noted that any sale would require landlord approval for the transfer of lease terms and said guarantees on the lease.
Chris Miller, owner of Revolver, would not confirm or deny the pending sale. Miller lives in New York City and was the executive producer of the Drew Barrymore show. Barrymore was rumored to be a minority partner in Revolver. Recently Miller left his position with Barrymore to join the Jimmy Fallon Show as its showrunner. The Jimmy Fallon Show is filmed in New York City.
The asking price is rumored to be close to $1 million net. Over the past 18 months, quiet negotiations have been going on between Miller’s team and a number of potential buyers. Miller was said to have wanted to preserve the Revolver name and brand but it appears that will not be part of the final deal with Flaming Saddles.
Flaming Saddles abandoned its lease on the corner opposite Revolver in the summer of 2020 shortly after COVID hit. At that time Squariglia and Barnes confirmed their intention to return to West Hollywood and placed many of their items into storage.
Revolver’s square footage is approximately 2,000 square feet, a much smaller footprint than the former location of Flaming Saddles at the southeast corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and Larrabee. Squaraligia explained that the smaller size was similar to their New York location. She was excited by the opportunity to be back in West Hollywood.
I used to go to Revolver when the big thing was everybody would meet there for something monumental like the MTV premiere Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” video. That was pretty fantastic to be in a packed club where everybody came just to see that video and once it hit the video screens, the room was completely silent and then erupted in cheers when it was done. That stuff would happen all the time and it was awesome. Plus you’d be watching a video and turn around and see Gene Anthony Ray from the “Fame” clip they just showed standing next… Read more »
Linking to the April article might have been better, but who really cares?
I don’t want to see any new bar take over another one that remains popular like Revolver, it’s not a great way to integrate into any community that’s already loyal to that space. Always glad to see new bar or clubs come into other unused spaces though!
It is not surprising that the landlords have interfered. The same thing happened to Yogurt Stop another Weho landmark.
The landlords did seem to be shady. As for “landmark” well now that’s laughable.
The new owners can only improve it. Revolve is one of those places where you can’t stand in one spot too long or you’ll stick to the floor for the rest of your life.
Flaming Saddles is hetero trash. Save Revolver.
“REVOLVER” was my old stomping grounds when I lived in West Hollywood in the 70’s. It was like my “CHEERS” ! I’d meet my friends there for a couple of hours and then it would be off to “STUDIO ONE” just down the street. What a great time that was to live in West Hollywood !
It was the Green Parrot in the 70s.
Haha, no Bob, it was the Blue Parrot.
Revolver, as far as I can recall, opened in the 80s. In the 70s, that site housed The Blue Parrot gay bar when gay bars were still gay, not like now.
What is the big loss with Revolver? Over the hill queens still trying to live in that Weho glory? Men of a certain age that are so cheap they need 3$ rail drinks mixed with sweet tea?!? No real loss there if you ask me!
“Over the hill queens still trying to live in that Weho glory?” Your snarky, bitter response sounds like you’re one of those queens of a certain age. Btw, if you’re born in 1986, you’re no spring chicken yourself.
If fibTeller86 would stop to review our gay history and give thanks to the generations that were born before him to make our community as a whole safe and sane so others had no fear of their sexuality, he might have changed his message. Unfortunately, there are those who dismiss our past victories only to see us as the over the hill gang. Your inconsiderate response holds no value. One day life will suddenly catch up to you in the mirror, and boom you are one of those so called “Over the hill queens.” It’s time for you to respect… Read more »
If you’re very lucky, you will live long enough to be of “a certain age”. With your mouth, however, don’t count on it.
Wow, ageist much?
Crap. I thought we outlasted those New Yorkers pushing their bad ideas into Weho. They are strangely relentless. Now we’re losing an iconic bar and name to them. RIP Revolver
I hope the new owners of Revolver know what they are doing.Flaming Saddles was not a good fit for the bar neighborhood.Country music is OK,just not for that part of town.They would be better off following the example of Gym,the relocated gay sports bar.There is some guys who love sports and they seem to be doing well.
AGAIN, Flaming saddles in not a Country Music bar. And they did quite well when they were in the bar neighborhood, “that part of town”.
When Flaming Saddles initially opened in West Hollywood, they were in fact a country music bar. HOWEVER, they had to change their format to the more typical pop dance scene because it wasn’t a good fit for West Hollywood with the country stuff and people weren’t into it.
I was there twice a week since they started (at least twice) and they were never a county music bar. That is not their own description even for the NYC location, which I have also visited.
Wasn’t Oil Can Harry’s a country bar? Did anyone save that?
Oil Can Harry’s had a country night, but was not a country bar.
The Flaming Saddles concept was that of a country music bar initially. And by “that part of town,” maybe he meant a gay area that has become infiltrated with bachelorette parties. Jeez, there are a lot of snotty neighbors on here.
read their website
Glenn, that bar was def dying before the pandemic started. No need to beat a dead horse, and try to bring it back to Weho.
I will spend as much time at Revolver as possible before it is gone. So many wonderful memories there for decades. Flaming Saddles evolved into a straight bar masquerading as a gay bar. It was full of straight girls and their boyfriends. Why not open it on Hollywood Blvd? The tourists would love it. So sad this is happening.
Are there really that many country music fans coming to WEHO??? I can see having a country night once a week but every night??? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no señor
Flaming Saddles is a cowboy themed bar loosely based on the idea of Coyote Ugly’s bar. It is not a country music bar. I do not recall hearing hard core country music there. Only some remixes that were pretty clubby. The most popular choreographed song for the bartenders to dance to was Pour Some Sugar on Me.
Geez Glenn, are you the owner, or are you the only one who wants Flaming Saddles to come back. It is dead in the water.