The month of March has marked the end for many Bay Area restaurants and businesses. Despite most counties moving into a less restrictive orange tier of California’s reopening, still, a lot of restaurants have permanently closed.
Longstanding restaurants that have closed included Tyger’s Coffee Shop in San Francisco, which closed on March 31, and Baja Cactus in Milpitas, which after 36 years in service, has closed its doors for good.
Many of these businesses have decided to close after failing to compromise on leases with their landlords. As the case with 10-year-old cocktail bar Maven. However, the lease is just one of the many reasons why businesses all around San Francisco have shut down. Last month, former owners of Prairie, CatHead’s BBQ, and The Stud discussed the several ways why their restaurants and bard couldn’t survive the pandemic and what is it like after a business closes down.
Looking at the brighter side, despite littered with bad news of business closures, one popular cafe decided to re-open in March. Specialties announced in May 2020 that it would permanently close all 50 locations throughout three states. But a year later, the business returned with one spot in Mountain View that opened on March 1.
“We’ve downsized to just one location and have updated the menu with new delicious creations. This will allow us to focus on the great food and customer experience,” the Specialties website said.
On Tuesday, four more Bay Area counties entered the orange tier, except Solano County which still remains in the red. Gov. Gavin Newsom hopes that the economy fully reopens by June 15
Listed are Bay Area restaurants and businesses that have closed through March. For more Bay Area closures in 2021, click here.
7-Eleven
As reported by Hoodline, The 7-Eleven in Castro closed on March 4 due to complaints made by the customers and staff about “frequent shoplifting, loitering, and lack of cleanliness, as well as fear for their safety.”
AS B-Dama
Popular Japanese izakaya inside Swan’s Market has closed with owner Chikara Ono planning to debut his concepts Dela Curo and Sundo as the next business venture sometime this year.
Baja Cactus
Opened in 1985, the 36-year-old Mexican restaurant located in Milpitas have shut down on March 31 due to the sale of the property where it stands.
Bissap Baobab
The only Senegalese restaurant in Oakland has permanently closed in March. “I just couldn’t stay open in this big space, paying big rent,” owner Marco Senghor told Berkeleyside.
Cosecha
Owner Dominica Rise-Cisneros has decided to close her 10-year-old Mexican restaurant on March 27. Rise-Cisneros shares that she lost 80% of her business during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s not all bad news as Rice-Cisneros has already plotted her new next business Bombera, which will open on April 27.
Mahila
According to San Francisco Chronicle, Mahila, a Malaysian restaurant, have closed on March 15 after failing to negotiate with the landlord.
Maven
Located in Lower Haight, Maven, a popular cocktail bar has closed at the end of March after 10 years in business. Owner Jay Bordeleau said that the decision to shut down was finalized after failing to come to a rent agreement with his landlord.
