Restaurateur Steve Harris founded the Castro Country Club (CCC) as a social alternative to the gay bars, making it the first social coffee house in the Castro District.

As the AIDS epidemic ravaged the gay and bisexual men’s community in San Francisco, the role of the CCC expanded to become a second home for people impacted by the AIDS epidemic.

Due to economic conditions, Baker Places Inc. could no longer remain the fiscal sponsor for the CCC and the CCC closed its doors.

Driven to re-open, Dan Cusick, Hank Wilson, Dr. Steven Tierney, Eric Ciasullo, Tony Robbins, and Ric West convinced Baker Places Inc. to continue its support with the caveat that the CCC would re-conceptualize its business model.

Because of a death in the family that owned the CCC’s building, the property was put up for sale. In response to this imminent threat, the CCC community created an Advisory Board that launched the “Keep The Steps In The Castro” capital campaign, with the intention to raise enough money to buy the building.

While they were unable to raise sufficient funds, with the support of the community and District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, the CCC was able to negotiate a 10-year lease with the new owner of the property.  

Just 5 months later,  Baker Places announced it could no longer shoulder what had grown to be a $50,000+ annual deficit. Thankfully, a new fiscal sponsor stepped up: The San Francisco AIDS Foundation. 

Together with several major grants awarded, the CCC entered a new era of self-determination and autonomy.

Mascara, the CCC’s monthly sober drag extravaganza, debuted.

Now in its fourth decade of service to the LGBTQ community, the CCC celebrated its 30th anniversary!