Queen Bee’s Arts Center to leave North Park for SDSU-area site next spring

Queen Bee’s Arts & Cultural Center, which has operated in North Park for 17 years, will close its current Ohio Street location next spring. The venue is moving to a 5,000-square-foot lot on El Cajon Boulevard near San Diego State University, a site that once housed the founder’s previous business, Hot Monkey Love Cafe.

Alma Rodriguez, the venue’s founder, said she considered properties in City Heights and North Park but found them unaffordable. She met Todd Stemmerman, who co-owns the new property with his brother Scott, on a street in North Park. Stemmerman told her he and his brother were retiring and asked if she wanted to take over the building. Rodriguez agreed, noting that the new site features air conditioning and an outdoor patio with Wi-Fi, amenities the current North Park location lacks.

The new space is half indoors and half outdoors, compared to the current 8,000-square-foot indoor facility. Rodriguez plans to operate the new site as an 18-and-up venue starting June 1 after obtaining a cabaret license. The location will function as a cafe during the day and host live music and other events at night.

The relocation follows a legal battle with the family of Allen Hitch Jr., who owned the North Park property and died in 2023. Hitch’s heirs accused Rodriguez of manipulating Hitch into a low-value lease and improperly collecting $410,000 from his bank accounts. They also alleged she took items from his home after his death. Rodriguez dismissed the claims as false, citing the death of her daughter Anna in a 2024 car accident as the reason she accepted a settlement offer.

Shannon N. Taylor, an attorney for the Hitch family, confirmed in an email that the legal matter is resolved and the building has been sold. The property at 3925 Ohio Street changed hands twice in two years. It was sold to 3925 Ohio LLC for $3.4 million in 2024, but that buyer defaulted on payments. The property was auctioned off last month for $2 million.

The current owner, identified only as Jay, has not disclosed plans for the building. Rodriguez has a verbal agreement to continue renting the space until she moves next year. She cited rising costs as a primary reason for leaving, noting that the new owner is requesting $4 per square foot plus triple net expenses. When she opened the venue in 2009, the rent was 82 cents per square foot.

Rodriguez is currently dividing her time between the venue and a nonprofit established in her daughter’s name. The center’s annual gala is scheduled for December 12 and will feature Gregory Page, a San Diego Music Awards winner. Rodriguez stated the new venue will be smaller and focus on quality over large attendance numbers.