The Abbey, iconic West Hollywood gay nightclub, is up for sale - Los Angeles Times
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The Abbey, iconic West Hollywood gay nightclub, is up for sale

The exterior of a restaurant with tables on a patio and trees in front.
The Abbey Food & Bar and the Chapel at the Abbey are up for sale.
(Valerie Macon / AFP/Getty Images)
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The Abbey, one of West Hollywood’s most prominent gay nightclubs, is up for sale.

Its listing calls the property, at 686 Robertson Blvd., “a generational purchase opportunity to acquire one of the world’s most iconic nightclubs and restaurants.”

The listing includes both the Abbey Food & Bar and the adjacent Chapel at the Abbey, which opened in 2016 as an expansion of the original business.

The Abbey was first opened by investment banker David Cooley as a coffee shop in 1991. Over time, it grew and expanded into a restaurant and nightclub measuring nearly 10,000 square feet. WeHo Times reported that Cooley sold a majority stake in 2006 to SBE Group for $10 million but bought it back in 2015.

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“His vision was in complete alignment with the city to reinvigorate historic Boystown and create a world-renowned gay establishment,” said John Duran, who sat on the West Hollywood City Council from 2001 until 2020.

“As one generation of LGBT passes into memory and new generations arrive, it will be fascinating to witness the changes that may lie ahead for the historic district,” he said.

Cooley did not immediately return a request for comment. In March, he also listed his Hancock Park home for about $7.7 million.

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