Some spaces feel immediately welcoming. The Bunker SLO—an art gallery, performance space, and café—has always had that vibe, and after a short hiatus for remodeling and expansion, it feels doubly so. The former warehouse on Orcutt Road now has more usable interior space, a new café called The Undergrounds (replacing Nautical Bean), and eventually an expanded outdoor patio that’s currently under construction.
The new café is owned by The Bunker but is a separate business, and the kitchen has been reconfigured with added ovens to bake all their breads and pastries in-house. The venue has a comfortable, New York loft feel, with high, open-beam ceilings and an open floor plan.
“By just opening it up a little bit more, it gave the room new life, which I’m pretty excited about,” owner Missy Reitner-Cameron said.
What’s happening?
In conjunction with Art After Dark, The Bunker SLO hosts an artists’ reception on Friday, Sept. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m., for Women Owning Walls, with work by Amy McKay, Britt Groseclose, Corinne Pulsinelle, Erica Friend, and Nicole Popell.
UFC, the Ultimate Funny Competition Improv Show, brings its family-friendly fun to The Bunker on Saturday, Sept. 5, and Thursday, Sept. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. both nights.
LA-based alt-rock, surf, and punk act Trash Day headlines a four-band show on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 6:30 to 9:45 p.m.; $12.56 presale at my805tix.com. Also on the bill are three local acts: “dirtbag indie” punk act Joone, indie shoegaze and alt-pop act Stretch Hanson, and emo-screamo act Excuse Me Sir.
Visit thebunkerslo.com for upcoming events.
There’s also a new space called The Living Room, which was created when The Bunker rearranged its storage area and removed two working artists’ studios. It’s filled with comfy seating, over which hangs custom lighting.
“Everything’s still a work in progress, but this is going to be a no-tech room—no computers. We just want this to be an area that’s more based around talking or coloring or reading or playing games. We have tons of stuff here,” Reitner-Cameron explained, gesturing to shelves of games, books, and activities. “It’s just something a little more socially oriented instead of being a place where everyone’s constantly working.”
She plans to project silent videos on one wall, “probably art films and stuff like that,” she said. “We’re just trying to make it a little bit more homey and cozy. As cozy as an old warehouse could be.”
Most importantly, the venue will continue to be an artistic hub for the community.
“The things that we had been doing are the things we’re going to still be doing,” Reitner-Cameron confirmed. “We’re just going to be able to have more control over it, especially the kitchen. That was probably the hardest part of having a vendor in here that wasn’t associated with us. The kitchen wasn’t ours, so we couldn’t decide what hours we were going to be open, and what we were going serve.”
‘We’re just trying to make it a little bit more homey and cozy. As cozy as an old warehouse could be.’
—Missy Reitner-Cameron, The Bunker SLO owner
Guests can count on monthly rotating art shows, special events, and live music.
“We’re going to start our art program up again in September with Art After Dark,” she explained. “We have a show called Women Owning Walls. Central Coast Comedy is still going to be here three nights a month, karaoke is coming back, open mics, readings, live music, things like that. We want to make sure everything works.”
Since everything is still in flux, check the website for hours at thebunkerslo.com, but the current plan is to be open at 7 a.m. every day and close at 2 p.m., possibly expanding to 4 or 5 p.m., except on event days, where they might be open as late at 9:45 p.m. Evening events also mean more food choices.
“I’ve never owned a restaurant before, so I don’t know what I’m doing. Thank goodness I have Kai,” Reitner-Cameron laughed.
Kai is Kalae “Kai” Kilinalokilani Neves, The Bunker’s manager. New on the menu are focaccia pizzettes with homemade marinara, homemade pesto, a daily soup or curry that’s usually vegan and gluten free, and pretzels.
“It’s definitely more light bites,” Reitner-Cameron noted. “It’s not a heavy meal. It’s more of a hangout at a show and have something.”
They also have a beer and wine license and plan on serving soju cocktails. On the weekends, they want to start doing brunch with waffles and fresh fruit.
One thing that isn’t changing is their commitment to inclusivity.
“We definitely open the door to absolutely everybody,” Reitner-Cameron said. “We want everyone to feel safe and seen and taken care of. We want to greet everybody with a smile and great service but also make sure everyone knows this is a safe space. We have our Pride flag up in the ceiling. We’re lucky to pair up with the SLO Queerdos and Gala [Pride and Diversity Center], and we get to do a lot of events here with them, which is really fun. We try to just make sure everyone knows this is a very safe space, and I will defend that hard.”
“I think across the board, in terms of the pockets of communities here, we never thought, when we opened, that we would become a DIY punk rock scene,” Neves added. “We’re known throughout California as the Central Coast spot to play for DIY shows, which is really cool. I think that lends a hand to the fact that we’ve been trying to be diverse throughout everything that we do—art, in every form, as well as what we’re serving in our kitchen, all of our staff. I think that we’ve done well.”
Expanding the music offerings is also in the works, including a potential jazz night, but they’re really known for their punk scene and young bands.
“I love the fact that we have punk bands and young high school kids playing here,” Reitner-Cameron said. “When I found out how old they were, I was like, ‘Oh, my God. You’re babies.’ They’re all out there being cool and smoking their cigarettes and stuff, and I’m like, I get to be the old bitch that says, ‘Hey, see that trash receptacle that I put out here? Don’t make this person who’s your mom—because basically, I’m your mom—pick up your cigarette butts.’
“I love talking to them like that, saying, ‘This is a place you want to keep. You’ve got to love and respect it.’ And they seem to really like us.” ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Sept 3-10, 2026.
