Latest news with #WayfareTavern
Eater
29-05-2025
- Business
- Eater
Thank AI and Billionaire Dollars: Private Dining Rooms Are Going Gangbusters in San Francisco
There's a buzzy, classy vibe coursing through Wayfare Tavern for a Wednesday at 3 p.m., mid-century American jazz breezing along the spread wings of a taxidermied Canada goose. Fat racks of lamb, hints of lemon rising above the tomato and chickpea, and other dishes fly out of the kitchen, just like its previous location on Sacramento Street. There's one key difference: This new Wayfare Tavern is sectioned into bookable fourths, composed of multi-use rooms and bars. Florence and many more chefs are booking out private dining rooms (PDRs) throughout the city. It's because San Francisco's energy is better than it has been in years. Downtown is busier than in recent years, with Moscone Center events in the first quarter up 12.2 percent compared to the same period last year, per the city's statistics. That's a 52.5 percent increase in attendees from the previous year and an estimated $174 million brought into the city. A big wave of artificial intelligence money is painting the city green, too: The San Francisco Chronicle reported that home-grown OpenAI is taking on Apple designer Jony Ive's startup Io to the tune of $6.5 billion. These triumphant vibes — and dollars — are changing the way San Francisco eats. Numerous chefs say PDRs are increasingly the biggest deal for the bottom lines of San Francisco's fanciest restaurants, like nets stuck out a ship's window catching all the fish flopping around. Acquerello co-owner Giancarlo Paterlini appreciates the boom. He runs the two-Michelin-star-holding Italian restaurant known for luxurious hospitality. Chef Suzette Gresham and wine director Gianpaolo Paterlini's work has long spoken for itself, the restaurant debuting in 1989. But these days it's the restaurant's Gold Room, which seats 20, and the more intimate Wine Room for four to eight that pay the bills. The restaurant also offers a full buyout to accommodate 50 guests. The idea that the Gold Room costs an additional $150 is such a non-issue it'd make Paterlini laugh. He says in 2025 tech executives regularly walk in on a Thursday and offer to pay whatever price to make sure they have the place to themselves the following Thursday. Regularly, these groups spend $7,000 to $8,000 more than an average night. The 40-seat restaurant, in other words, is giddy to receive all this business. Pharmaceutical companies were the first companies to really use these two rooms, presenting their newest medicines and offerings to representatives for medical institutions over rabbit mortadella-filled cappellacci. COVID, with its need for isolation-friendly dining spaces, was the first time those businesses began to take hold in the space. AI companies caught that ball and ran. They rent the rooms, or the whole restaurant, and whip out the whiteboard for multi-hour brainstorming sessions with the early 20-somethings, usually one or two older execs running the meetings. 'The first four months of the year are all private events,' Paterlini says. 'The percentage of revenue for the restaurant is notable.' Wayfare Tavern's meticulously laid-out space is a pretty picture of this new approach. On the first floor, there's technically just one PDR. That's the Cellar, a space ruled by glass cases of wine bottles. It seats 10 to 30 people, and goes for $500 an hour in the evenings with a four-hour maximum; when there's a conference in town or a holiday, the prices go up. During the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in 2026, for instance, it's $9,375 for the full day's food and beverage minimums versus $7,500 on other days. That doesn't account for the 22 percent admin fee, the six percent SF Mandate fee, and the 8.725 percent sales tax applied to the final bill. Upstairs there are three PDRs: the Juniper Room, the Sequoia Bar, and the Barbary Room. A few of them can be combined or modified for different package deals. Florence says the Juniper Room is already booked out through Christmas, despite their recent reopening in April on Pine Street. All this dynamic action is changing the way chef-owners are getting restaurants set up in the first place. Sure, Wayfare's sequel falls into that category. But super successful pop-up-turning-restaurant Happy Crane is a first timer. Designing the upcoming Hayes Valley space, chef-owner James Parry felt the PDR was non-negotiable. Architects working on the space argued it was precious square footage not worth wasting. Parry stood firm. The compromise at Happy Crane is an intimate, small, multi-use part of the restaurant that fits into the regular dining space as easily as it can close off for private bookings. Buy-outs of the restaurant make that moot, of course, and Parry says there have been lots of inquiries for the yet-unopened business. Beyond the money the private bookings bring in on their own, it's easy to budget and account for costing out goods with these events' set menus. In short, a longstanding part of restaurants is more important than ever as the city continues its rebound. 'Increasingly, it feels the city's coming back,' Parry says. 'We want to be ready for the events and private parties.' That's the vein Florence is tapping with his palatial new Wayfare Tavern. Mind you, it's still a restaurant, not a co-working space. The front space diners enter is called the Red Room, a gold-walled dining room where that Canada goose holds court next to a front bar. Behind that, though, is what Florence calls the galley. There's an intimate bar, plush seating, and the little corner acts as one more hushed area, calling to mind North Beach Restaurant's underground deal-making prosciutto room. In total, a full 10,000 square feet of reservable dining space. 'Everyone got the signal,' Florence says. 'It's time to activate.' Sign up for our newsletter.
San Francisco Chronicle
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Celebrity chef's restaurant reopens in downtown — and more S.F. openings
April's new San Francisco restaurants brought in some unexpected flavors. Diners can now bite into a mix of Dominican and Ethiopian dishes at an NBA star's newest restaurant, or sample a fusion of Japanese and Thai influences from a team of notable Bay Area chefs. Restaurants focusing on classics like red sauce Italian fare and tried-and-true American dishes also opened. Celebrity chef relocates Wayfare Tavern, celebrity chef Tyler Florence's marquee San Francisco restaurant, has a new home in the heart of the city. They opened the doors to their new digs on April 28, a two-story space designed by Jon de la Cruz that captures the same old-school feel from the former Sacramento Street location. Expect a tried-and-true menu of hits including burgers and buttermilk fried chicken. 201 Pine St., San Francisco. There's a new neighborhood stop for no-frills doughnuts on the city's west side. The Ingleside Light reports North Bay Bagels and Donuts opened at the start of April, reactivating the vacant space that was formerly a burger restaurant. Owner Bory Sroy, a Cambodian immigrant who arrived in California 20 years ago, told the outlet she saw an opportunity as there are no other doughnut shops in the area. She and her husband also own All Star Donuts in the Richmond District. Afro Caribbean cuisine with star power Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green's buzzy new 'Ethiopian fusion' restaurant is now mending together influences from the Horn of Africa and the Caribbean in San Francisco. Named Meski, it offers dishes like sancocho with berbere spices and yucca flour sambusas stuffed with spiced beef or lentils. The project is a collaboration between Green alongside restaurateur Guma Fassil, who operates Meski's Kitchen & Garden in Berkeley, and is acting as general manager. Chef Nelson German of Oakland's Dominican restaurant Alamar is also a partner and executive chef. A revival in North Beach A Roman-style trattoria has opened at the former home of popular bistro Cassava. Steps of Rome, a revival of a previous North Beach favorite, offers cacio e pepe, made with tonnarelli tossed in Pecorino Romano and fresh cracked pepper, along with spicy rigatoni and silky carbonara made with bigoli noodles, a thick style of spaghetti. Pizza offerings include classic Margherita and four-cheese pies, along with a fried pizza topped with prosciutto cotto, pepper and basil. 401 Columbus Ave. San Francisco. A new Japanese and Thai bar downtown The hotly anticipated Bar Shoji is now shaking Japanese-inspired cocktails in SoMa. The latest from chef Ingi 'Shota' Son offers beverages such as the Myoga, a Moscow Mule-like cocktail made with a Japanese ginger bulb and the Kabosu, a mix of tequila kosho chili pepper and lemongrass brightened with its namesake Japanese citrus. There are, of course, high balls made with Japanese spirits, and a wide-spanning list of sake. The menu, from chef Intu-on Kornnawong, formerly of Jo's Modern Thai, features small bites with a Thai twist like oysters dressed with a beet-chili jam and a ceviche spiked with nam jim sauce. A luxe rice bowl and the sashimi of the day show off the premium seafood flown in from Tokyo's Toyosu fish market. New slices on Market Downtown San Francisco's IKEA-adjacent dining venue Saluhall has a new tenant. Cheezy's Artisan Pizza is now tossing dough that's topped with tried-and-true topping combinations like mozzarella and basil to more eclectic mixes like lamb merguez pickled Fresno peppers and a walnut muhammara sauce. Pies are available in neo-Neapolitan and square, Grandma-style variants. Chef-owner David Jacobson brings his experience at Bay Area pizza hotspots like Pizza My Heart, Pizzeria Delfina and Flour + Water Pizzeria to his latest venture. 945 Market St., Suite 102, San Francisco. Global flavors for the Marina Incoming cocktail bar and restaurant Indigo is now offering drinks inspired by flavors from around the world in the Marina District. The cocktails use diverse wines and spirits like umeshu, cachaca and tequila infused with Poblano peppers. Dishes have a similar international flair, such as kashmir chicken skewers with a yogurt marinade and pita. The al pastor tacos are made with steelhead trout topping a squid ink tortilla. Local chicken shop expands Proposition Chicken, a Bay Area grown chicken restaurant, launched its latest location in West Portal. Ordering is unfussy: Choose between fried chicken, roasted chicken or a vegan protein in a sandwich, salad or plate. Wings tossed in Buffalo sauce, honey mustard and barbecue sauce are also available. Proposition Chicken operates another San Francisco location and an Oakland location. It is also available through ghost kitchen service Local Kitchens in the South Bay, Peninsula and East Bay. New development lands pizza shop The newest Flour + Water Pizza Shop location arrived in the Mission Rock development in April. Like its sister location in North Beach, expect pies ranging from classic pepperoni to smoky eggplant or cacio e pepe. The newest location takes over a 1,800-square-foot space at the growing development that also includes the likes of croissant specialists Arsicault and a future project from the team behind popular cocktail bar Trick Dog. 1090 Dr. Maya Angelou Ln., Suite A, San Francisco Coffee shop takes over theater lobby The Emerald Lounge is now pouring coffee drinks inside the former movie theater building on Van Ness Avenue. Find a straightforward menu of beverages like lattes and pour over, along with bites like vegetable sandwiches. The brew bar makes drinks using top-tier beans from local roasters like Sightglass Coffee, Grand Coffee and Poorboy Coffee.
