Rumors are swirling over the fate of three long-running Fisherman’s Wharf restaurants, prompting concerns about the famous San Francisco neighborhood at a time when few tourists are roaming the city.
The restaurants in question are Castagnola’s, Tarantino’s and Pompei’s Grotto, which combined represent 255 years of San Francisco dining history. Some are listed as permanently closed on websites like OpenTable and Yelp, though that designation is not always accurate. But they certainly appear to be closed, with no way to order food and phone lines that have been disconnected.
Still, the pandemic has proven that many restaurants can appear permanently closed and then roar back to life after months of inactivity, That was the case with Geary Boulevard mainstay Tommy’s Joynt, which local blog Broke-Ass Stuart reported had permanently closed last fall after weeks of rumors. Only then did the owner, restaurateur Chris Henry, emerge to say Tommy’s Joynt would eventually reopen.
Now, this cluster of Fisherman’s Wharf restaurants has gone dark, and another blog post from Broke-Ass Stuart questions whether they’ll reopen.
Castagnola's, a Fisherman's Wharf restaurant open since 1916, appears closed on May 17, 2021.
Soleil Ho / The ChronicleCastagnola’s, the oldest restaurant on the wharf (it opened in 1916), has been shuttered since shelter-in-place orders first hit last March. There is still furniture sitting inside the restaurant, but the business’s pages on Google, Yelp and OpenTable all mark it as permanently closed. The Chronicle called two owners listed on public records but could not reach them. The union representing Castagnola’s workers also did not respond to a request for comment.
Tarantino’s, a 75-year-old seafood spot known for its prime waterfront views, also hasn’t served diners since last March. Similarly, it’s listed as permanently closed on Google, Yelp and OpenTable. The windows are covered in plastic, and there’s a sign posted outside saying it’s temporarily closed for remodeling, encouraging diners to visit sister restaurant the Grotto instead. The Grotto, though, is also not serving diners, and its phone line is disconnected.
Fisherman's Wharf restaurant Tarantino's is covered in plastic on May 17, 2021.
Soleil Ho/The ChronicleTarantino’s and the Grotto are both owned by Henry, the owner of Tommy’s Joynt. The Chronicle reached out to the manager of Henry’s restaurant group, who did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
That leaves 75-year-old Pompei’s Grotto. While a Google search Tuesday showed the restaurant as open, its actual status is still unclear; its windows are boarded up, its phone line is disconnected and a sign posted announcing a 30-day temporary closure seems to date to March 2020. The Chronicle called an owner listed on public records, who did not respond to a request for comment.
Pompei's Grotto is boarded up and appears closed on May 17, 2021.
Soleil Ho / The ChronicleThe landlord of Fisherman’s Wharf’s restaurants is the Port of San Francisco, which still has active leases in place for the three restaurants as well as the Grotto. The Port has offered rent relief to tenants — including rent forgiveness — during the pandemic, and it’s working with more than 200 tenants on such options. But communications director Randy Quezada said none of the aforementioned restaurants have applied for the Port’s rent relief programs.
The problem with relying on websites like Google, Yelp and OpenTable for closure information is that they don’t necessarily report a permanent closure via the business owner. Yelp instead crowd-sources information from users who flag businesses as closed, information that could stem from media reports or a restaurant merely appearing closed.
A representative for OpenTable said the company looks at a variety of indicators to determine the status of a restaurant, with direct communication with the restaurant owner being most important. Still, she said the priority for OpenTable is ensuring reservation availability is accurate, not whether a restaurant is temporarily or permanently closed.
Fisherman’s Wharf is primarily a tourist destination, and San Francisco’s tourism industry suffered dramatically in 2020. Tourists spent 77.7% less than in 2019, and the total number of tourists dropped by 61%, according to the city’s tourism bureau.
Soleil Ho contributed to this report.
Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker
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Three iconic Fisherman’s Wharf restaurants have gone dark. What is happening? - San Francisco Chronicle
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