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San Francisco's 88 Spear tower adds rooftop restaurant and event space

San Francisco's 88 Spear tower adds rooftop restaurant and event space

Built World San Francisco, CA local

Alto88, a 500-person rooftop venue slated to open in May 2027, anchors Presidio Bay's renovation of 88 Spear St. into what the developer calls the country's first 'office resort.'

October 19th, 2026: City registers Alto 88 at 88 Spear St.

Overview

Updated Oct 26

Presidio Bay is adding a rooftop restaurant and event space to 88 Spear St., a 13-story Financial District office tower built around 1969. The developer calls the renovated building the country's first "office resort." The venue, Alto88, can hold up to 500 people indoors and in covered outdoor space, with 360-degree views.

The name Alto88 first appeared in an August 21 state liquor license application from Please Spear LLC, the company of hospitality operator Phil Spiegel, who will run the venue. On October 19, 2026, Please Spear LLC registered Alto 88 with the city as a rooftop restaurant, bar and event space. Reports target a May 2027 opening. The state liquor license decision and a city health permit for the kitchen are the next signals.

Why it matters

A 500-person rooftop venue on an aging office tower tests whether amenities can draw San Francisco workers and visitors back downtown.

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Key Indicators

500
Guest capacity of Alto88
The rooftop venue can hold up to 500 people in indoor and covered outdoor space.
10,000 sq ft
Size of rooftop structure
Designed below a weight threshold to avoid costly seismic retrofitting.
13
Stories in the 88 Spear tower before the renovation
Presidio Bay got permission to add a floor to the 13-story building as part of its makeover.
57
Age of the tower in years
The building, now known as The Spear, dates to roughly 1969.

Voices

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People Involved

Cyrus Sanandaji
Cyrus Sanandaji
Founder and managing principal of Presidio Bay
Leading the 88 Spear St. renovation and Alto88 buildout
PS
Phil Spiegel
Hospitality entrepreneur running Alto88
Running Alto88 through Please Spear LLC; filed for a full liquor license in August 2026
RC
Richard Chu
Executive chef for Alto88
Leading food and beverage across three venues
MR
Mitchell Reichert
Chef de cuisine for Alto88
Working under executive chef Richard Chu at Alto88

Organizations Involved

Presidio Bay
Presidio Bay
Real Estate Development Firm
Developer renovating 88 Spear St. and building Alto88

San Francisco-based developer that acquired 88 Spear St. in 2023 and is renovating it.
TS
The Spear (88 Spear St.)
Office Tower
Under renovation; reopening planned for early 2027

13-story office tower in San Francisco's Financial District, now known as The Spear.
PM
Please Management
Hospitality Company
Filed for a full liquor license for Alto88 through Please Spear LLC; operating Holbrook House

Phil Spiegel's hospitality company, which runs Holbrook House and will run Alto88.
AL
Alto88
Restaurant and Event Space (planned)
Under construction; opening targeted for May 2027

The 500-person rooftop restaurant and event space atop 88 Spear St.

Timeline

2023 October 2026

5 events Latest: October 19th, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. City registers Alto 88 at 88 Spear St.

    Latest Legal / Filing

    A San Francisco business registration lists Please Spear LLC as registrant for Alto 88, a rooftop restaurant, bar and event space at 88 Spear St.

  2. Construction of rooftop venue reported

    Construction

    The San Francisco Standard reports workers are building out the newly added rooftop structure for Alto88.

  3. Liquor license filed for Alto88

    Legal / Filing

    The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control took an application naming Alto88 at 88 Spear St., filed by Please Spear LLC, the company of hospitality operator Phil Spiegel. The filing bundles full-liquor, portable-bar and catering permits.

  4. Spiegel recruited to create Alto88

    Partnership

    Presidio Bay brings in Phil Spiegel to design and operate a rooftop venue at the tower.

  5. Presidio Bay acquires 88 Spear St. tower

    Acquisition

    The developer buys the Financial District office tower and plans a renovation.

Scenarios

1

Alto88 Opens by End of Summer 2027

Likely Resolves by Q3 2027

Discussed by: The developers themselves; Spiegel has said May if all goes well, and The San Francisco Standard reports construction is ongoing

Construction continues through early 2027, The Spear reopens, and Alto88 begins service by summer 2027 in time for the tourist season and the golden-hour viewings the cocktail menu celebrates.

2

Delays Push Rooftop Opening to 2028

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: The article notes construction workers were still building out the structure during an October 2026 hard-hat tour

Permitting, material, or construction delays push Alto88's opening past the end of 2027. The building itself could open first, with the rooftop venue following months later.

3

301 Battery Events Space Opens

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: Presidio Bay and Spiegel announced the partnership alongside the Alto88 project

The second partnership between Presidio Bay and Spiegel, an events space at 301 Battery St. (the former Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco), opens for bookings.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1939

Top of the Mark (1939)

The Mark Hopkins Hotel opened a rooftop cocktail lounge 19 floors above San Francisco. During World War II it became a gathering spot for servicemen, who made the 'to the V-8' toast its signature.

Then

The bar became one of the city's most famous venues within a few years of opening.

Now

It remains an operating cocktail lounge today, defining the hotel's identity for more than 80 years.

Why this matters now

Spiegel says he wants Alto88 to become that kind of lasting institution, a place people return to for generations. The Top of the Mark shows a rooftop venue can anchor a building's identity for decades.

2008

Beijing Water Cube (2008)

The National Aquatics Center for the 2008 Beijing Olympics was built with ETFE cushions: sealed pillows of plastic film inflated with air. The skin let in daylight, insulated the pool hall, and weighed a fraction of glass.

Then

The Water Cube became a landmark of the Games and a proof point for ETFE as a building material.

Now

ETFE since appeared on airport terminals, university buildings, and stadiums worldwide.

Why this matters now

Presidio Bay turned to the same material to keep the Alto88 structure light enough to avoid seismic retrofits on the 57-year-old tower. The Water Cube is the material's best-known validation.

Sources

(6)
+1
The San Francisco Standard The Dissent Chili Chili / The San Francisco Standard San Francisco Business Times Transparent.city The San Francisco Standard