HEART WEHO, the famed nightclub located at 8911 Santa Monica Blvd. is for sale. The ownership group which also has interests in Rocco’s Weho. (updated) Lance Bass, former *NSYNC lead singer is not part of the ownership group.
HEART WEHO opened in the winter of 2022 at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and San Vicente at the former Rage Nightclub which closed in 2020.
The club owners have been quietly shopping for a period of months. Employees from the club have noted the slow pace of business with managers and staff having lost hours. One unconfirmed report from an ex-staffer noted liquor deliveries to HEART WEHO had stopped and had spotted movement of liquor from Rocco’s to Heart to keep the bar stocked.
When sold, HEART WEHO will add to the long list of business owners who have chosen to close or exit their businesses. The Abbey was listed by long-term community pillar David Cooley and has been purchased by Tristan Schukraft. The sale is still in process awaiting the transfer of the liquor licenses. Micky’s, the world-famous nightclub/bar/restaurant in the pulse of WeHo’s LGBTQ community, is also listed for sale. Revolver was recently sold. St. Felix was also sold from its long-term owners to a group led by Adam Lambert. Lambert is said to have since left the partnership. WEHOonline reached out to the owner of the Wild to confirm Lambert’s exit but not confirm nor deny rumors that Lambert was out.
PUMP Restaurant, owned by Lisa Vanderpump and husband Ken Todd, also closed last July. The business, which operated at 8498 Santa Monica Blvd. without a business license from 2019 until its closure last year, is now operating out of its sister restaurant Tom Tom Club at 8932 Santa Monica Blvd. and still does not appear to have a valid West Hollywood business license.
Rocco’s, which shares the same ownership group as HEART WEHO informed WehoOnline that Rocco’s will remain in business and is not listed for sale. Management did note that business has been soft.
Word was the owners of Beaches were going to buy Heart? But we have plenty of bars and clubs so if it’s shuttered who cares. What bothers me is that Wehoonline has consistently reminded us that Vanderpump is not paying for a license since 2019? Where is the City Attorney on this in getting an injunction to cease and desist business until full payment of all past due amounts are collected
Who at City Hall has failed to collect those fees and why haven’t they been fired for their negligence and incompetence?
Wouldn’t be surprising if the city purchases yet another commercial property. Vultures.
Transferring liquor between 2 separate license holders? Not legal
Nothing will make it in that space with the high rent and high cost of labor. It’s just a matter of time before most of WEHO becomes empty retail space. Not trying to be negative but unless people are willing to spend or can afford to spend $20+ for a cocktail these bars simply cannot afford to stay open. Every single employee will now cost them $19.08 per hour plus all kinds of benefits. I think that is great but it’s just not sustainable when people are tight for cash. That is why business is soft. Even Rocco’s admitted business… Read more »
Exactly correct. And, another one bites the dust.
It hasn’t bitten the dust. Do you know how many times Block Party has been listed for sale over the years?
Or how about how Revolver, The Abbey and now “The Wild” being sold to interested buyers and still going strong.
Enough of this doom and gloom. The facts don’t support your narrative.
Just to clarify, BlockParty has never been for sale. You cant sell something unless you have a lease. The problem in the past was Revolver had first right of refusal and at one point exercised their right to expand and take over our space. At that point we planned and announced our exit. You are mis-informed and use it tactfully to degrade when you can.
So that wasn’t your listing on bizbuysell earlier this year?
How am I misinformed if there was a listing and you were represented by an agent (Deanna Dube).
And to clarify- my comment wasn’t to degrade you or your store. I was simply pointing out that just because something is for sale, doesn’t mean it has bitten the dust. Please stop over reacting.
The store was listed last July and it was an open listing with my staff and was very open about it…it was part of my interview with Marco and other conversations within our monthly business roundtable, – but you referred to listed again.. as if it had been listed before- which it has never been listed prior to the conditions that were setting in here, on the ground, day to day, with crime, homeless etc..the listing expired three days after that other story posted.
Okay, my mistake then.
I believe the landlord, Monte Overstreet, was a partner in this club, so the club must not be profitable if it is up for lease. Overall, they never really promoted themselves well and are closed on weekend days, most likely to not compete with Rocco’s. A new operator with no ties to another SMB bar and Monte staying as an investor seems like a good idea.
Monte is still alive, christ I remember him coming into rage getting drinks and never a tip… he must be the undead I heard so much about
It would be nice if these bars would become something useful for the community. Being the part of LA for drunks isn’t something to be proud of.
Just because one is an occasionally relapsing alcoholic doesn’t mean one should attack the entire nightlife community. I rarely drink myself and usually go out sober, but having an energetic space full of people to socialize is vital to the character of West Hollywood.
Well, that didn’t last long. What a shame. This city really does need new leadership. Hopefully, if bought, the space will be turned into a restaurant. We are oversaturated with bars and clubs.
Yeah, a restaurant. Like Rocco’s Italian restaurant with live music or the poetry reading place that’s now something else without the celebrity.
After carefully reading this article, it seems to me that it is impossible to blame City leadership on a bar/restaurant’s failure.
But you can certainly try.
Only partially true. For a performative bunch who want to take credit for so many things beyond their control, they should also be held to account for when things do go wrong, and things do go wrong. That said, it is not city’s business to engineer what type of businesses should be developed as an investor will make that business decision and let chips fall where they may. Build it and they will come, or they won’t. Markets sort things out.
Yep! That’s capitalism! The free market disciplines itself … until government intrusion distorts it.
Try reading it again. The city leadership can most definitely be blamed for a business failure. Articles linked to the story state that the city is not enforcing rules equally. If you take into account the dollar amount city permits cost, you’ll find that the city helped Pump save that dollar amount by turning the blind eye to the illegal activity. Now let’s say a new business like the Wild mentioned on here was obligated to get all the permits before they were allowed to open. How is that fair to the new businesses when Lisa Vanderpump was allowed to… Read more »
Huh? Do you propose the city buy it and open what has been a nightclub location for 40 years as a restaurant.
HuH? You talkin to me?
Was responding to JF1. No idea what he wants.
Make it into a dinner theater! They already have the stage and everything. It would be nice to see musicals, rather than the same old drag queens over and over.
For people that don’t understand that the high cost of doing business here in our city is one of the reasons so many businesses are failing, I can’t make you understand. The high cost of doing business is passed down to the consumer and people can’t afford to go out in our city like they used to because of the cost. We have more empty store fronts than I’ve ever seen. It is literally less expensive to operate a business in Beverly Hills or even then City of Los Angeles than it is in WeHo..thanks to the failed policies of… Read more »
JF1, I would suggest you drive through the Beverly Hills downtown streets and look at all the empty store fronts and reconsider your statement about how good biz is in the BHPO. Having worked in BH for 30 years, this is the most dismal I have seen it.
You would like to see something else…okay. But would you even patronize that business?
Haven’t you said you deliberately leave the city to eat,shop etc?
So does it even matter?
Please no more clubs. A restaurant there would be nice!
Before Rage, Wehoville reports that the building was Pacific Saw and Supply. However, I recall it being a restaurant called Spartacus or something to that effect, before Rage opened in 1984. https://youtu.be/TAaZxzxIv2w?si=HKm9RE7R85Ib8ySC.