A 70-YEAR-OLD SOUTH BAY BURGER LEGACY JUST REACHED ITS END

This is a curated list of the Bay Area’s most notable and permanent restaurant and bar closures, with new updates published once a week. See a closing we missed? Then drop us a line.

April 24

CASTRO — Saturday, April 20 marked the end of the road for Copas, the Market Street restaurant known for serving some of the city’s best tacos. The restaurant opened about two and half years ago at 2223 Market Street and initially served California-influenced Spanish and Mexican cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But in spring 2023, the restaurant closed to undergo renovations and a menu refresh, returning with a more narrow focus on Mexican food, specifically Tijuana-style tacos. The new menu earned a rave review from the Chronicle’s associate food critic, but it wasn’t enough to save the business. A spokesperson cited rising labor and food costs as two of the reasons behind the decision to shutter.

BERKELEY — Kokolo Donburi Berkeley, a Japanese restaurant located at 2237 Shattuck Avennue in Berkeley, will close sometime in the next couple of weeks. The news comes via East Bay Nosh, which reports that the space is slated to become a new outpost of hot pot mini-chain Zhangliang Malatang. Staff tell the outlet a final date for Kokolo hasn’t yet been determined.

SAN JOSE — The final location of Burger Pit, a decades-old burger chain in the Bay Area, closed its doors on Tuesday, April 23, the Mercury News reports. The restaurant, located at 1349 Blossom Hill Road, has served a menu of burgers, chili, and steak, since 1964. But owner Paul Berger tells the paper that his lease for the space ran out this year and with the landlord planning to increase rent by 70 percent, it wasn’t feasible to remain open. Fans flocked to the restaurant in its final days, and parts of the restaurant’s iconic neon sign will be placed within History San Jose’s collection.

April 17

SOMA — One of the tech world’s favorite after-hours spots will close for good. The San Francisco Business Times reports Temple will shut down operations on May 25. The business will lay off its 86 employees as it closes, citing “financial difficulties” due to “changes within our industry” per a notice sent to staff.

SOMA — The family behind Pizza Squared will close up shop on Friday, April 26, letting fans know in an Instagram post they’re headed to the East Bay for a “new chapter.” Fans came to this Brannan Street business for Detroit-style pizza and swirled soft serve.

MISSION — On the corner of 19th and Mission streets, Beauty Bar held it down in the neighborhood for cheap drinks and messy nights. Now SFGATE reports the bar has closed, ending its 25-year-run somewhat out of the blue; staff told the news outlet they thought they had a bit more time before the closure.

MISSION — After 16 years on 16th Street, iconic gastropub The Monk’s Kettle will close in June. The business will move to a larger space in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland. Co-owner Christian Albertson wrote a farewell letter, citing issues with tech transplants failing to properly invest in their new neighborhoods after bouncing around the country for various jobs.

DOGPATCH — In an Instagram post, the ownership for wine bar Yield let fans know the neighborhood wine haven will close after service on Sunday, April 21. No reason was given for the closure; the business was open for 18 years. “Thank you to my customers and friends who have supported me over the years,” the post reads in part.

SACRAMENTO — April 1 was the last day in business for the Drip Espresso, according to the Sacramento Bee. The Black- and woman-owned coffee shop celebrated its second anniversary on March 17 before taking to social media to announce the closure.

SAN RAMON — One of San Ramon’s go-to spots for pizza and pasta closed on April 14 after 12 years in business. The Mercury News reports Firehouse 37 shuttered without management providing a reason, though the paper points out that a major redevelopment of part of the property is underway, with some locals protesting the project.

SAN JOSE — Following fellow San Jose craft brewery S27 last year, Camino Brewing Company closed operations for good earlier this month. The Mercury News reports the business was under repairs and, as of Thursday, April 11, let fans know on social media it will simply not reopen.

April 10

CHINATOWN — Celebrated Beijing duck purveyor Hing Lung Company closed the doors to its Chinatown location as of Sunday, April 7, after 43 years. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that not all is lost: Owners Eric and Simon Cheung state they will reopen the restaurant by late June in a new location, at 927 Post Street. The Cheungs’ other project, Go Duck Yourself, will also open as a standalone shop at 439 Cortland Avenue at the end of April.

MISSION — Ownership for Mission District’s Slate Bar announced via Instagram that the business is set to close at the end of April. In the message, the owners state the bar’s lease is ending and Slate’s journey “is coming to a close.” A few more events are lined up before that happens, however, so patrons have a chance to say their goodbyes.

OAKLAND — Acclaimed vegan Italian Singaporean restaurant Lion Dance Cafe is closing as of Saturday, April 27. In a statement on Instagram, owners Shane Stanbridge and C-Y Chia cited familial reasons for the closure, but promised that this is not the last we’ll hear from them. “It’s been challenging. And it’s been sweet and rewarding,” the statement reads in part. “Thank you all for filling our restaurant and hearts with so much life.”

OAKLAND — Oakland sports bar Mushin closed on Sunday, March 31, after just two years in business, East Bay Nosh reports. In an Instagram post to followers, the owners stated that, “due to the current social & economic situation in downtown Oakland, we’ve made the tough decision to close our beloved establishment.”

BERKELEY — Chef Cash Caris’s second act as Berkeley restaurant Elsie’s is now over. After a whirlwind closure of Delirama at the end of January, quickly followed by the opening of Elsie’s at the start of March, he’s now shut down that restaurant after less than two months. As of now, Caris is taking a break but is currently seeking breweries to pair with for a pop-up venture dubbed Little Pyro.

BERKELEY — After five years in North Berkeley, winery Vinca Minor has moved out of its Fourth Street tasting room and production facility and moved operations to Sonoma, East Bay Nosh also reports. Unfortunately for Vinca Minor fans, the new location does not include a tasting room, but already a new business has launched in the business’s former Berkeley location: Tessier Winery has taken over and hosted a grand opening on Friday, April 5, at the brand’s 1355 Fourth Street digs.

LIVERMORE — After 11 years in business, Livermore’s Roya Afghan Cuisine closed on Saturday, March 30, according to the Livermore Patch. In a message to diners via a storefront sign, the owners wrote in part, “As we embark on this bittersweet journey, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to every one of you who has walked through our doors, dined at our tables, and become a part of our extended family.” Patch does mention that owner Abdul Yawari’s recently-opened restaurant Saffron Kitchen remains open at 5940 College Avenue in Oakland, serving “Mediterranean-infused Afghan food.”

SAN JOSE — The owner of Irish pub Rosie McCann’s will permanently close the Santana Row business on Saturday, April 20, the Mercury News reports. Owner Mina Shamsaei wrote in a Facebook post that “rising costs, declining sales, and the harsh realities of running a restaurant after the pandemic were too great for this small female-run family business to continue.” A second location in Santa Cruz will remain open, the Merc confirms.

PALO ALTO — Long-running Stanford Shopping Center business Gourmet Franks closed as of Wednesday, March 17, after 43 years. Palo Alto Online reports that the hot dog business shuttered after owner Enrique Serrano decided not to renew the lease, citing a sharp 65% increase in rent if they had gone forward with a new five-year lease.

APTOS — Running for over 30 years, Palapas Restaurant y Cantina is now closing. Palapas’s last day of operations is slated for Saturday, May 18, but already a new business will take over the location: One Fish Raw Bar chef Trent Lidgey and restaurateur Brandon Smittencamp will open Mexican seafood restaurant Dos Pescados in the Palapas space, with plans to open by summer.

SACRAMENTO — Tennessee-based Slim + Husky’s Pizza closed its Oak Park location at 3413 Broadway over the April 5 weekend, according to the Sacramento Bee. Oak Park was the brand’s only California branch, opening in September 2020 and lasting just under four years in business. Ten other locations of the restaurant are located across Tennessee and Georgia.

April 3

FIDI — After less than three years in business, high-profile Greek restaurant Estiatorio Ornos will close its doors after April 11. A spokesperson for the Mina Group confirmed the news to Eater SF on April 3, writing that ownership decided not to renew the lease at the 252 California Street. It’s the end of an era for the celebrity chef, who previously operated his eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant, Michael Mina, in the same space until that restaurant’s closure during the early days of the pandemic.

FREMONT — SFGATE reports that fast-casual rotisserie chicken chain Boston Market has closed its last remaining locations in the Bay Area. The outlet visited several Boston Market locations including restaurants in Fremont and Oakland, confirming that the company does not appear to have any outlets open in the Bay Area. The news comes as the chain closes stores across the country; the Washington Post reports that despite once operating 1,200 locations nationally, there are only about two dozen Boston Market restaurants remaining.

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