Breen’s opened in 1925 and quickly gained a reputation as a notable dive bar and speakeasy during Prohibition. It was a favorite spot for Saroyan, who frequented the bar for gambling in 1928 and beyond. The bar changed ownership multiple times over the years and was eventually auctioned off in 1979 to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. In 1949, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen described Breen’s as a place where “you'll find bums and businessmen… newspapermen and socialites.” Nearby bars, such as the Kentucky and the Barrell House, were also occasionally referenced in connection with Breen’s. Saroyan mentions Breen’s in several of his works: Places Where I’ve Done Time (Chapter 39), I Used to Believe I Had Forever, Now I’m Not So Sure (p. 104), Obituaries (p. 149), and Births (p. 88).