How Much Did Tristan Schukraft Pay for WeHo Nightclubs?

The price tech mogul Tristan Schukraft paid for the famed Abbey and Chapel LGBTQ nightclubs in West Hollywood was $27 million.

Last fall, the self-described “CEO of Everything Gay” bought The Abbey Food & Bar and The Chapel at The Abbey at 692 and 696 North Robertson Boulevard, the Commercial Observer reported. The seller was investment banker David Cooley.

The newly revealed price for the 14,200-square-foot properties works out to $1,901 per square foot.

Another report says Schukraft bought The Abbey property at 692 North Robertson, and Cooley’s interest in a lease for The Chapel at 696 North Robertson, with the final price tag for the bulk of the business after fees at $35 million, according to WEHO Times, citing unidentified sources.

Schukraft, a longtime patron of The Abbey, will keep the restaurant and nightclub open. The Abbey’s long-time management team has stayed in place.

“They lead a team of hundreds of servers, bartenders, hosts, promoters, back-of-house staff, DJ’s, dancers, drag queens and entertainers who make The Abbey one of the most popular nightlife destinations in the world,” according to the November announcement of the deal.

Schukraft also bought Cooley’s business for an undisclosed price, according to the Observer.

Brokers Matthew Luchs and Brandon Michaels of Marcus & Millichap handled the sales.

Cooley founded The Abbey in 1991 as a sanctuary and center of activism during key periods such as the AIDS crisis and the push for marriage equality and transgender rights, according to WEHO Online.

In 2021, Lady Gaga celebrated the 10th anniversary of her album “Born This Way” at The Abbey, while the late Elizabeth Taylor, a cherished figure within the LGBTQ community, gave a portrait of herself to the bar.

In 2006, Cooley had sold a 75 percent stake of The Abbey to hospitality and entertainment company SBE Group for nearly $10 million, according to the WEHO Times. Cooley stayed on as president, while SBE, , founded by hotel developer Sam Nazarian, planned to open Abbey bars in gay destinations across the nation.

The plans never panned out. In 2015, Cooley bought The Abbey back for an undisclosed price. Last month, the nightclub founder sold his historic brick home in Hancock Park for $6.8 million, which he bought in 2001 for $1.9 million, according to the Times.

Schukraft is the founder and owner of Mistr, a Miami-based telemedicine app for gay men. He also owns the queer nightclub Circo and Tryst Hotel in Puerto Rico.

— Dana Bartholomew