Here are some of the bars, restaurants and entertainment venues that have closed for good during the coronavirus pandemic:
Bamboo Sushi — The San Ramon location of the Portland-based sustainable sushi chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 12, saying in a statement that the coronavirus lockdown limited its ability to generate revenue or get financing to make it through the crisis. The company has also launched a sale process. Here’s hoping they come back. Read the story here.
Benchmark — “Without a strong to-go business, we are unable to break even and adequately care for our employees,” the note on this Oakland pizzeria’s website read in late April. “The end is nowhere in sight, and it is likely that our industry will be forever changed when this is over. We lack the capital to navigate that future.” Benchmark in Kensington remains open for takeout.
Clarke’s Charcoal Broiler — In early April, the owners of Mountain View’s oldest restaurant, Clarke’s Charcoal Broiler, said they couldn’t weather the coronavirus crisis and shut down the business for good. A rustic throwback, the landmark El Camino Real eatery had been serving burgers, fries, barbecue and milkshakes since 1945. According to the posted history, Clarke’s Charcoal Broiler was established by H.W. Clarke and purchased years later by Jim and Liz Blach. Read the full story here.
Cleophus Quealy Beer Company: This five-year-old San Leandro brewery and taproom announced it would be closing for good via its blog on March 17, the day after Alameda County ordered the shutdown of all non-essential businesses. “These measures are in the best interest of the public and will surely help to protect us all, but we unfortunately can’t weather the storm ahead,” it read.
Emperor Norton’s — When this Italian restaurant and pizzeria opened in 1975 in San Jose’s Santa Teresa area, the eatery could count among its neighbors plenty of IBM employees and blossoming orchards. The Emperor outlasted the disk-drive factory and most of the fruit trees. But today’s challenging economic climate for restaurants, worsened by the coronavirus crisis, made the business unsustainable, owners Todd and Lauryce Haney said. The restaurant closed down April 26. Read the full story here.
La Guerrera’s Kitchen — Ofelia Barajas and Reyna Maldonado of La Cocina-backed La Guerrera’s Kitchen will not be re-opening their Mexican restaurant that shared its space with Aloha Club in Oakland’s Fruitvale District. But they are looking for a bigger location elsewhere in Oakland, according to Eater SF.
Lalime’s — Berkeley’s Cal-Med restaurant of 35 years announced on April 28 via its website that it would be closing its doors permanently. “Covid-19 has made the decision for us,” the message read. The Krikorian family first opened on Solano Avenue in 1985 before moving it to its Gilman Street location in Berkeley in 1988. Read the full story here.
Momo & Curry — The Oakland outpost of this Indo-Chinese restaurant closed at the end of April. As first reported by Hoodline, a sign on the window thanked customers, stating that the restaurant was not able to make it through shelter-in-place financially. The Concord location remains open for takeout.
Nick’s Next Door — Nick Difu, the popular homegrown chef who was equally at home in the kitchen and the front of the house, decided May 21 to “walk away” from his eponymous Nick’s Next Door restaurant in Los Gatos. “This was never my intention but because we are in unprecedented times, I have been forced to make this difficult decision to close. I hope everybody understands,” he wrote. Read the full story here.
Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery — The COVID-19 era concept of working from home dealt a final blow to this restaurant-catering group founded in the Bay Area 33 years ago. The Pleasanton-based chain, whose specialty was serving sandwiches, salads, soup and freshly baked cookies to the weekday lunch crowd and delivering boxed lunches for office meetings, shut down May 19. More than 50 locations in California, Washington and Illinois were affected. Read the full story here.
Sweet Tomatoes — The 97 restaurants of the Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation chain — known for their 50-foot-long salad bars and serve-yourself soup, pasta and pizza stations — closed permanently because of the coronavirus crisis. “I’m not sure the health departments are ever going to allow” buffets and salad bars again, CEO John Haywood said May 7. Read the full story here.
The Lede — Cal Peternell’s lunch spot, which opened in September in the Oakland coworking-and-production space StudioToBe, announced via Instagram that the restaurant is closing after the landlord canceled its lease. “We have to close. Thanks for all the support. Here’s to better days,” it says. In an email, Peternell called the situation “sad, but not contentious,” and said “we are finding ways to pivot and move forward.” Read about The Lede. Check back for updates.
The Saddle Rack — The legendary country music club, which got its start in San Jose and then moved to Fremont, announced on May 8 that it is shuttering its doors for good. “Dear Saddle Rack Family — it is with overwhelming sadness that we must announce that the Saddle Rack will not be reopening its doors,” a social media post reads. Read the full story here.
The Stork Club — The popular bar/live music venue, which is one Bay Area’s oldest nightlife spots, announced on its Facebook page on May 19 that it’s going out of business. “Well folks…that’s IT…end of an era & another nail in the coffin of Rock ‘n Roll,” the club said in a post on its Facebook page. However, the owners have said they hope to find a new site with a cheaper rent. Read the full story here.
The Stud — San Francisco’s oldest gay bar, which has been in operation for 55 years, announced on its Facebook page on May 20 that it will not reopen at its longtime location of 399 9th St. Co-owner Honey Mahogany confirmed the closure in an email, saying that owners cannot afford to continue paying rent without income. Read the full story here.
Tartine — The SF-based bakery located inside Berkeley’s Graduate Hotel closed in late April 24 after only seven months when employees received a letter telling them that the Graduate Hotel “has ended their contract with Tartine” citing ‘business decline’ and ‘COVID-19,’ according to an Instagram post by tartineunion, a group of employees trying to unionize the bakery’s Bay Area employees. The news was first reported by Berkeleyside’s Nosh.
