01-08-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. Giants pregame bar closes after 18 years, plus more Bay Area restaurant closings
The following is a list of notable Bay Area restaurants that closed in July. Click here for a list of June closings.
District, a popular ballpark-adjacent pregame spot for Giants fans, poured its final drinks July 1. Its owners thanked San Francisco for its support over 18 years. Set inside a brick warehouse building, District was best known for its wide selection of whiskeys and wines. Other locations in San Jose and Oakland remain open. SFGATE first reported the closing. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but operate separately.)
Downtown Oakland hi-fi bar and dinner party venue Couchdate has called it quits. SFGATE reported that owner Emmanuel Singh blamed the city of Oakland, its landlord at the space at Frank Ogawa Plaza. Oakland officials disputed Singh's account of the closure.
An eight-year-old pub at Oakland's Jack London Square is no more. Seawolf Public House shut down due to outstanding debt and as its lease is set to expire at the end of summer, the business announced in a press release. The gathering space was a hub for locals to enjoy food and drinks in a laid back environment.
A tough business outlook and regulars leaving San Francisco spelled the end of Chava's on 24th Street in the Mission District, owner Elba Hernandez told Mission Local. The decades-old restaurant, which first opened on 18th Street, was known for its homestyle Mexican cooking. Hernandez, Chava's owner since 2002, hopes to reopen somewhere else in the future.
Walnut Creek's BH Wood-Fired Grill had a short-lived reopening. The restaurant, a spinoff of Napa's Bounty Hunter Wine Bar, closed in July after making a comeback in December of last year. East Bay Times reported the closing, writing the restaurant never found momentum, even after changing its menu.
San Jose residents lined up for one last gigantic burrito at the original Iguanas location last weekend. The Orozco family, its owners, closed on July 27, with longtime residents making one last trip for chorizo breakfast burritos or the 18-inch-long burritozilla. Iguanas operated in the South Bay for 32 years, with other locations in the area. The Mercury News reported the closing.
Noe Valley neighborhood restaurant Mr. Digby's closed after four years serving cocktails and buttoned-up bar food. In a parting message, owners Mike McCaffrey and Kristen Gianaras McCaffrey thanked regulars and neighbors for their support. The couple will continue to operate Novi, their nearby Greek restaurant.
Sushi Zone has closed onSan Francisco's Market Street, where it began serving California rolls and nigiri in 1997. KRON 4 reports the restaurant's landlord did not renew its lease. The restaurant is looking for a new location, possibly outside of the city.
Popular Latin American restaurant El Patio closed on July 4. The West Berkeley restaurant was known for its Mexican and Venezuelan dishes and deep mezcal list. Management said its goodbyes in a social media post, but did not identify any motives behind the move. El Patio will continue to offer food and beverage catering for private events.
Seafood restaurant Fisch & Fiore in the Castro District closed after just a year in business. Hoodline reported the restaurant's final day was July 13. A message from the owners taped to the door states the space will reconfigure into a coffee shop. The space at 2298 Market St. is currently for sale.
WesBurger 'N' More, once an entry on the Chronicle's top burgers list, closed halfway through July. Owner Wes Rowe told the Chronicle he made the decision due to the changing dining scene and customer habits, fueled by the rise of delivery apps.
San Francisco wine bar and restaurant Kis Cafe has closed permanently following a public clash between its chef Luke Sung and a social media user. The restaurant first separated itself from Sung after he verbally criticized a food influencer who was at the restaurant to film a video. The restaurant first opened in May inside the former Petit Crenn space.
