Fillmore nightclub Origin could get evicted

Origin, a popular nightclub at 1538 Fillmore St., may be getting evicted from its premises after owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back rent. 

According to an unlawful detainer filed in San Francisco Superior Court on Tuesday, Origin owes its landlords a total of $432,000. The sum is a combination of rent from May through July, as well as unpaid rent from 2020 to 2021 and deferred rent following a lease renewal in 2023.

The 8,000-square-foot property is owned by an LLC named 1548 Fillmore II, whose principals are Netsanet Alemayehu, who co-owns nearby Sheba Piano Lounge, and daughter Tanya Bete Agonafer, according to state records. Agonafer declined to provide comment. Attorneys for the LLC did not respond to an immediate request for comment from Gazetteer SF. 

An employee at Origin was unaware of the unlawful detainer when contacted over the phone, and declined to answer further questions. 

A three-day notice was issued to Origin owners Jay Chen and Lily Nguyen on July 15, according to court documents. (Attorneys representing 1548 Fillmore II did not respond to a request for comment from Gazetteer.)

The 8,000-square-foot nightclub first opened in 2014, and is among a handful of clubs in San Francisco that caters to a largely Asian American clientele. It is also one of the few 18-and-over clubs in San Francisco. It plays host to events like QT Nightlife, a popular gay Asian party series, and has recently hosted R&B singer Mario, Detroit rapper Baby Smoove, and local rap crew 1 Umbrella.

If Origin is, in fact, set to be evicted soon, the club’s social media presence doesn’t seem to indicate it. On Instagram, the club recently announced an all-white attire party on Sept. 11, and a party called Hard Tokyo on Sept. 12.