Latest news with #ChascaRio
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
San Francisco Says Goodbye to 99-Year-Old Fisherman's Wharf Institution
A cornerstone of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf is coming down. Alioto's, a 99-year-old Sicilian seafood restaurant that survived fires, earthquakes, and generations of diners, will be demolished as part of a sweeping $10 million renovation of the iconic waterfront. Once the wharf's first permanent building, Alioto's began as a modest fish stand in 1925 before evolving into an 11,000-square-foot institution known for Dungeness crab and shrimp cocktails. Its founder, Italian immigrant Nunzio Alioto, carved out a legacy that weathered decades of change until the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the family-run restaurant for good in 2020. SFGate reported that efforts to revive Alioto's failed, according to Port Director Elaine Forbes, who said the structure's age, deterioration, and costly repair needs scared off potential operators. So instead of another tenant, the site will become part of a new public plaza, complete with lighting installations and scenic overlooks. The first phase of the project is scheduled to wrap by summer 2026. Plans include direct access to docked fishing boats, where visitors will once again be able to buy fresh fish and crab straight from the source. Alioto's isn't the only lost legend. Longtime fixtures like Fishermen's Grotto and Tarantino's are also gone. But fresh names are moving in. Salvadoran spot Chasca Rio will open in the former Pompei's Grotto by year's end, and Everett & Jones barbecue will take over Lou's Fish Shack's old space on Jefferson Street. The port's long-term plans stretch through the next 75 years, with a focus on climate resilience. Projects will strengthen seawalls, flood-proof buildings, modernize retail and public spaces, and support the fishing fleet that gives the wharf its name. Fisherman's Wharf drew 10 million visitors in 2024, and San Francisco hopes these updates will keep that number climbing even as it says farewell to one of its oldest culinary Francisco Says Goodbye to 99-Year-Old Fisherman's Wharf Institution first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 9, 2025
San Francisco Chronicle
23-04-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Fisherman's Wharf is getting a new restaurant in a long-vacant space
San Francisco's waterfront will be getting a new Salvadoran restaurant. Port commissioners voted unanimously to offer a lease to Salvadoran restaurant Chasca Rio for the space at 340 Jefferson St., formerly seafood restaurant Pompei's Grotto. The space had been inactive since 2021. A panel approved the new restaurant over a proposed pizzeria. It will be run by 340 Jefferson Street Partners, an LLC operated by Lou Giraudo, Chris McGarrry and Seth Hamalian. Giraudo, formerly the owner of Boudin Bakery, now run by his son, is also behind a development group with ambitious plans to revitalize the wharf. A sample menu for Chasca Rio includes tamales, pupusas, tostones and empanadas, as well as caldo de res, a beef soup, and casamiento, or Salvadoran beans and rice. The lease terms are for 10 years with a base rent of $10,395 a month, with gross revenues over base rent of 5.5%. The port is contributing $470,000 as a tenant improvement allowance. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors must now approve the lease before the restaurant can move forward. Chris McGarry told the Port Commission at a meeting that the space is in good shape, and believes they can open by the time the lease is executed. The new restaurant's operators must still secure a liquor license. At the meeting, Port Commissioner Steven Lee expressed his support for the new tenant — and the need for haste. 'That area really needs them to get going,' he said. In a statement to the Chronicle, partner Seth Hamalian said the team was 'moving with urgency' on the project. 'We're investing now, to eliminate vacancies and bring new businesses to the Wharf while protecting and celebrating the heritage of Fisherman's Wharf.' In February, the Port Commission approved granting a lease to southern barbecue restaurant Everett & Jones for a nearby space at 300 Jefferson St., formerly Lou's Fish Shack. The lease terms were also for 10 years, plus two possible five-year extensions.
