COLE VALLEY Reverie Cafe, situated in the heart of Cole Valley for more than 20 years, will close on February 19. No San Francisco restaurant was quicker to reinvent itself in the face of the pandemic than Prairie. It was how founders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino put their tribal advocacy work their language teaching, foodways research and community outreach into practice. Hard Water, a whiskey bar owned by Charles Phan, closed after 10 years in San Francisco. In California, the pandemic particularly shook the ground beneath the state's once robust hospitality industry. One of Napa Valley's best fine dining houses, the Restaurant at Meadowood, was lost to the Glass Fire, which ripped through Wine Country in late September of this year. He formerly wrote about culture for Do The Bay and Xpress Magazine. See the list of some noteworthy Bay Area closures below. 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East Bay Nosh reported the closure on January 3. THE BEST 10 Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area, CA - Yelp Susana Guerrero is a reporter for SFGATE covering the Bay Area's food scene. Warriors lean into their championship DNA, beat Kings behind sublime California reparations task force releases first estimate of damages: up the loss of venue doesnt spell the end of their project, Flower Moon, a lunar eclipse and a meteor shower unfold this week, Oakland teachers set to strike starting Thursday. Then in April, the landlord filed a request to dismiss the legal action that ultimately put a stop to eviction. This is a carousel. Cafeteria Boston: One of the city's most popular see-and-be-seen spots has permanently closed after 13 years on Newbury Street. Gavin Newsom amid a staggering winter surge in cases statewide, it drove a final nail in the proverbial coffin for many restaurants and eateries. Oakland's Miss Ollie's closes, and other restaurant closures Cala has been closed since March 17, and the team is unsure whether, let alone when, the restaurant will reopen. The 33-year-old Chinese restaurant in Oakland quietly closed last month, according to Berkeleyside. The state panel is preparing a final report that will suggest how to compensate Black residents to address the harms caused by the states history of slavery. Trattoria La Siciliana in Berkeley will permanently close on Sept. 30 after 23 years. Jose Maria Aguirre pouring wine at Maum in Palo Alto, Calif. on Friday, April 26, 2019. Prior to joining the newsroom in 2019, she worked for the Roxie Theater, Noise Pop and Frameline Film Festival. 1. in English and Media Studies from UC Berkeley. Bierhaus Oakland was at 360 40th St. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, Bay Area restaurants, bars that permanently closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Popular items included handmade sandwiches and big cookies baked from scratch, as well as catered lunches delivered to offices around the Bay Area. 3. Longtime owner Aaron Toensing partnered with Lori Baker and Jeffrey Banker, the couple behind the now-closed Pac-Heights restaurant Baker and Banker, to give the restaurant a second lease on life, but announced on Tuesday that the restaurant was no longer sustainable.. Editors note: This story has been updated to include Little Shin Shin and Great Wall Chinese Restaurant closures. The chicken and avocado tacro is topped with mango, pickled red onion, radish and micro-greens from Vive La Tarte is seen in this photo. She's a Bay Area native. A popular South Bay/Peninsula restaurant chain announced in July that its Cupertino location is the latest to join that list. MENLO PARK Pastrami and Belgian beer destination the Refuge in Menlo Park will close its doors after January 20, Palo Alto Online reports. See a closing we missed? The exterior of the Cornell Hotel de France in Union Square is photographed on Jan. 28, 2018. Stork Club, the longstanding dive bar and performance space in the Oakland neighborhood of Koreatown/Northgate, announced on its Facebook page that it will be ceasing operations. 1550 Hyde Caf & Wine Bar (SF) [PERMANENTLY CLOSED] 1601 Bar & Kitchen (SF) 1760 (SF) [PERMANENTLY CLOSED] 20 Spot (SF) 2223 Restaurant & Bar (SF) [PERMANENTLY CLOSED] 31st Union (SB) [PERMANENTLY CLOSED] 4505 Burgers & BBQ (SF) 5A5 Steak Lounge (SF) 620 Jones (SF) 7 Mile House (SB) A Mano (SF) Absinthe (SF) Aburaya (EB) The restaurant closed permanently in mid-June, auctioning off all of its . Pacific Dining Car Santa Monica: For thirty years Pacific Dining Car's 24/7 restaurant served night owls on the Westside. And while the reasons behind the decision to shutter varied, both restaurant owners made the challenging decision to close for good. newsletter, first full-service restaurant in Manhattan, Power Outage Caused by Underground Fire Continues to Impact Restaurants and Businesses in the Financial District, Heres When Much-Anticipated Soul Food Restaurant Gumbo Social Will Open in the Bayview, Palm City Wines, the Bay Area Destination for Big, Fat Philly-Style Hoagies, Is Planning a Second Location, This Indigenous Mexican Food Pop-Up Is Back for One Night Only at a San Francisco Museum. 10. Email: madeline.wells@sfgate.com, These are the Bay Area restaurants that closed permanently in July, MediaNews Group/The Mercury News/MediaNews Group via Getty Images, From (l) to (r): Manda Bear B., Jennifer G, and Andrew D. on Yelp, From (l) to (r): Sydney G. and Brittney B. on Yelp, Ann S. on Yelp (L)/ Fr. She's a Bay Area native. When the most recent Regional Stay-At-Home order came down from Gov. The restaurant had been closed since the start of shelter in place in March, and the Youns opted to retire rather than reopen the restaurant. The business was a fixture of San Francisco for the past 10 years, but they expect to reopen at a different location later this year. The List of SF Restaurants That Have Closed Since the Pandemic Begin Co-owners Roscoe Skipper and Wendy Brucker are leaving the restaurant business, although their original restaurant, Rivoli, will remain open under new ownership. Read more, The long-running restaurant shuttered in July because of the pandemic, after 83 years in its iconic location near Sutro Baths, The Chronicle reported. 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San Diego-based Garden Fresh Restaurants, the parent company of Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes, had closed the eateries in mid-March due to the spread of COVID- 19. Tia Margarita put margaritas on the map in SF. More than anything, Ive been so stressed out about taking care of our staff.. "We saw so many smiles, celebrations, and people enjoying our food. The pandemic made things worse. Sweet Tomatoes in Pleasanton is one of 97 sites in the restaurant chain shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She previously worked as a public safety reporter for the Vallejo Times-Herald, writer for SFist and a web producer for the Los Angeles Times. Ho also writes features and cultural commentary, specializing in the ways that our food reflects the way we live. Frances isnt the kind of restaurant that would work well under the conditions of the pandemic. According to a post on the business's Instagram, the cafe closed in the fall as El Sur plans to relocate to Redwood City. The restaurant made the announcement on Instagram, writing, "This pandemic has been difficult for many small businesses, us included, but heres to positive thoughts of what the future will bring as we all move forward." Spicy pork loin sandwich at The Sentinel in San Francisco, Calif. on Saturday, April 17, 2019. The Mercury News reports the company hopes to redeploy and add resources to other locations where we can continue our growth but provided managers and team members the opportunity to relocate to one of the restaurants eight other restaurants in the Bay Area. The space had faced previous allegations of racial discrimination in previous years, including some new allegations, according to Bay Area Reporter. But what blossomed in its place is a market where the chefs could sell kimchi, pancake flour, pickles and Korean comfort food like beef bone soup, kalbi and fried chicken. According to the Chronicle, Warung Siska didnt make it because it was short-staffed and wasnt hitting its income objectives. Station House Cafe, located at 11180 Hwy 1 in Point Reyes Station, announced it will close May 31, 2020 after a proposed spike in rent. Farm boxes from Luna Vez Farm, which supplied the restaurant with organic Korean vegetables and herbs, were also available. Executives have said 103 of the closings were just "temporary" and that most of those Steak 'n Shakes will reopen under new franchisees and with a new counter-service format, like fast-food places. SACRAMENTO BarnBurner, a Rocklin brunch destination since 2016, will close in April. Server Matthew Weimer holds a freshly made souffle at Cafe Jacqueline in San Francisco, California, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. The wine bar next door will remain open. Nizario's Pizza has closed its Castro location at 4077 18th St. after nearly 20 years. MOUNTAIN VIEW Kappo Nami Nami, a popular restaurant on Castro Street in Mountain View, closed its doors on January 29 after more than a decade and a half in business. Independent Brewing Company, a brewery in Oakland's Jack London Square, has announced it is closing for good. East Bay Nosh writes parent company SBE is closing Umami locations nationwide, and the Bay is no exception. Corso, a Tuscan restaurant in North Berkeley, is closing after 12 years, according to Berkeleyside. East Bay Nosh reports the decade-old cafe and go-to for breakfast sandwiches posted a note to its website, saying unfortunately we can no longer overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic and current economic climate.. These are the Bay Area restaurants that closed permanently in July Amanda Bartlett , Dianne de Guzman , Amy Graff , Susana Guerrero , Fernando Martinez , Madeline Wells , SFGATE Aug. 1, 2020. Though she would get help with prep during the day, at night, it was a one-woman show. At Benu, I recall the scratchiness of the vinyl records that provided dining room music; my colleague, meanwhile, still talks about how one course seemed like the most delicious carrot shes ever eaten in her life. The restaurant made the announcement on its website citing changes in restaurant economics.. Weve basically reopened this restaurant twice this year, said restaurant executive director Heather Murphy. Its shocking, says owner Eugene Power. Specialty's Caf & Bakery, which has over 50 locations in three states, announced on its website that the company is shuttering due to the coronavirus pandemic. SOMA Chef Peter Hemsleys fine dining restaurant Palette will close on February 15 at 816 Folsom Street in SoMa. The restaurant was co-owned by celebrity chef Martin Yan and Koi Palace. Although the website still lists the restaurant as temporarily closed, the location at 1455 3rd Street Promenade is closed, with branding and food items all removed from the area this month. Nick's Next Door added its name to the growing list of Bay Area restaurants that have closed as a result of the pandemic. SAN JOSE The cheddar chive biscuits will be baked no more as the Red Lobster location at Almaden Expressway near Blossom Hill Road will close its doors after 39 years of serving South San Jose. Were always thinking of Cafe Ohlone as a fluid thing that can move past any one location. While working on plans for a future brick-and-mortar home for the cafe, Medina and Trevino hope to present the Cafe Ohlone experience in the form of boxes filled with foraged items and ready-to-cook food sometime in the fall. The 68-year-old SF diner closed its doors in early June. Email her at Susana.Guerrero@sfgate.com. This is a curated list of the Bay Areas most notable and permanent restaurant and bar closures, with new updates published once a week. Goldberg thanked the restaurant's employees, his fellow managers and others who have supported it over the years. A running list of notable Bay Area restaurants and bars that have permanently closed. Even corporate giants such as J.Crew, JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, Hertz, Pier 1, and GNC have filed for bankruptcy. Worth Ranch BBQ in San Ramon and The Little Pear in Danville have closed, Chef Rodney Worth said. SFGATE reports owners Betty and Steven Chang are all set to retire. Ho also hosts The Chronicles food podcast, Extra Spicy, and has a weekly newsletter called Bite Curious. March 15 GLEN PARK Viking's Giant. Read more, Nizario's Pizza closed its Castro location after being unable to reach a lease agreement with its landlord, after nearly 20 years in business. The company is known for burgers, fries and milkshakes and opened its first LA location at Santa Monica's 3rd Street in 2014. WALNUT CREEK On February 28, Caspers Hot Dogs in Walnut Creek announced it will dog its last buns on April 16. Bay Area,' invites you to explore the culinary landscape of the Bay Area. The owner of the popular JapaCurryis looking for someone to take over operations of its food truck. Illustration courtesy of Wendy Xu. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and the University of Southern California, and is a Bay Area native. Already a new restaurant called Kokio Republic, formerly a Korean fried chicken food truck, is open in the space at 711 Geary Street. For a catalog of April closures, see SFGATEs roundup. FISHERMANS WHARF According to SFGATE, McDonalds has closed one of its high-profile locations in San Francisco. In the case of Willie Bird Turkey, the nearly five-decade-old business decided to close its deli operation after struggling to remain financially afloat during the pandemic. No reason was given for the restaurants closure. The chef, who also operates Michelin-starred Commis in Oakland, called growing food, labor, and operating costs insurmountable. The restaurant was open for nine years and explored Thai and Laotian food, a personal project for the chef. The fast food giants outpost at Fishermans Wharf closed in late December, the company confirmed to the outlet, saying in part that the company reviews its restaurant portfolio on a regular basis to make the best decisions for our business moving forward.. Los Angeles-born Broad Street Oyster Co. will take over the Ghirardelli Square location. Mauerpark, a German cafe in the Castro, announced that it would permanently close Aug. 12 after a struggle to keep business afloat in San Francisco. KQED, which first reported the closure, highlighted that Yu-Raku was one of the few businesses in Northern California that served chuka ryori, Japanese-style Chinese food. Something went wrong. The pho served at Tam Tam. The business five other stores in San Francisco remain open. Owner Ajay Walia told the Daily Journal that the decision to close surfaced during the pandemic when he realized many of the dishes at Rasa did not travel well in takeout containers. Even so, the casual concept has a lot going on: Customers have been picking up brown paper bags full of ambitious, six-course dinners that they can reheat at home, featuring dishes like sticky pork spare ribs, cloudy beef bone soup, light and gooey acorn choux pastries and spicy squid and cucumber salad. The French restaurant was highly anticipated and focused on French food influenced by the region of Occitania. 37 notable Boston restaurants that have now permanently closed The Cantonese spot on Franklin Street has been in operation since (possibly) the early 2000s serving seafood dishes for locals. Manager David Facer told the San Francisco Chronicle the closure is a sign of the times, especially after COVID. OAKLAND On March 25, Kingston 11, one of the East Bays favorite restaurants for oxtail, salmon, and jerk chicken, will close its doors for good. An announcement on the restaurant website explains there may be a comeback down the line. John Storey / Special to The Chronicle 2017. "We are very sorry to report that Bar Agricole is closed effective immediately due to the increasing daily risk of COVID-19 infection to our employees and guests," read a message on the bar's website. Steak 'n Shake in Santa Monica closed its Third Street Promenade location and leasing signs appeared at the location in late summer. Two Bay Area La Boulangerie's locations have closed that included the only Oakland location and the Sutter Street location in San Francisco. This Seattle chain announced the closure of its sole L.A. location on August 28. SAN JOSE The Chronicle spotted the closure of Ludwigs German Table in San Jose, a longstanding destination for schnitzel and bratwurst. The market sold specialty items and was a resident of a nearly 118-year-old building. CatHead's BBQ transitioned to takeout shortly after the shutdown but months of financial struggle pushed owners Richard Park and Pam Schafer to close the business on Aug. 2. It was a difficult decision for us because we love the restaurant, our customers and the amazing team of people who work for us making this place what it is, the owners wrote on Facebook. The group will vacate 174 Kinney Street, near Neilson Way and also announced that it closed its Santa Barbara location, The Santa Monica Mirror reports. The restaurant was known for its modern take on Indian food. Did you know that lasagne layered with plantains instead of noodles could be so hearty, so uncannily pasta-like? OAKLAND Occitania, chef Paul Canaless restaurant located inside the Kissel Uptown Oakland hotel, shuttered as of Friday, March 10. Big H Deli. See our ethics policy. OAKLAND East Bay Nosh reports Oaklands Bay Fung Tong Seafood Tea House closed at the end of 2022. "We have met so many great people and made lots of friends," he said. In so doing, the restaurants staff could stay on, the financial impact of the pandemic lessened somewhat. Browse by region, re-watch your favorite segments, and enjoy food reviewed by regular Bay Area residents! Oops. It has been an honor and privilege to serve you." The shops locations in Concord and Berkeley will remain open, as well as outposts in San Jose, Cupertino, Milpitas, and San Francisco, the Mercury News reports. They say that the loss of venue doesnt spell the end of their project. East Bay Nosh let readers know that an issue regarding the lease prompted the outlet for Gifford Family Wines and Dave Gifford to find a new venue. The 1950s-themed diner shuttered after 20 years in San Jose, posting a sign that read, "Thank you for your support and patronage over the past 20 years at this location. 9. NAPA Marys Pizza Shack has been a Northern California institution for more than 60 years with multiple locations across the Bay Area. The bars have been temporarily closed since shelter in place orders were issued in mid-March. "We had an amazing time serving food and drinks to San Francisco and the Bay Area," the restaurant wrote in an Instagram post. 7. Many outdoor parklets that had just been constructed as health orders lifted over the summer have sat vacant since the order came down in early December as regions fell below the intensive care unit capacity threshold of 15 percent.