Orphan Andy’s Founders Dennis Ziebell and Bill Pung Sainted During First Public Honoring of Them

Dennis Ziebell and Bill Pung, who for nearly fifty years owned and operated Orphan Andy’s in the Castro, were sainted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and celebrated during the first-ever public event to honor them. The two-part event took place on August 21, 2026, and was co–presented by the Castro Community Benefit District, the Castro Merchants Association, and the San Francisco Bay Times.

The first part of the evening took place at the Castro Night Market main stage and was emceed by Donna Sachet. Ziebell and Pung arrived via a pedicab cycled by Brady Bakay. Sachet sang a personalized version of “It Had to Be You” to Ziebell and Pung. (Watch it at https://bit.ly/4c2Rr2n ; video by Mike Kirschner.)

Presenting honors were Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Matt Haney, President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Andrea Aiello of the Castro Community Benefit District, the publishers of the Bay Times, and Nate Bourg of the Castro Merchants Association. The new owner of Orphan Andy’s, Michael Goodrich, also attended and provided free brownies to Castro Night Market guests, who were invited to write messages of gratitude on a giant scroll located at the market’s information booth.

The second part of the evening happened at Orphan Andy’s—3991 A 17th Street—where the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence led by Sister Roma and Sister Zsa Zsa sainted them. They may now hereafter be known as Saint Bill the Bountiful and Saint Dennis the Delectable. Sainting is the highest honor of the Sisters, whose longtime member and Bay Times columnist Sister Dana Van Iquity was among those attending.

Video of the sainting, taken by Mike Kirschner, may be viewed at: https://bit.ly/4qBiEzl