Rio City Cafe in Old Sacramento will close for good. Here’s when and why it’s closing

Rosalio Ahumada
·2 min read
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The Rio City Cafe, a river deck restaurant that has served its guests in Old Sacramento for the past 30 years, will close its doors for good in less than two weeks.

In a somber Facebook post Monday afternoon, Rio City Cafe management announced they will be permanently closing the restaurant. Its last day of service will be Aug. 3, open during the restaurant’s normal business hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for both brunch and dinner that day.

“This was in no way an easy decision, but due to multiple factors, sadly, we realize it is time to say our goodbyes,” Rio City Cafe management said in the Facebook post.

In June, Rio City Cafe General Manager Jimmy Gayaldo told The Sacramento Bee that the restaurant lost its river deck because the City of Sacramento refused to repair it. City officials ordered the deck closed in April for safety reasons and there were no plans to fix it.

Gayaldo, who also is a part owner of Rio City Cafe, has estimated the restaurant’s deck made up about 70% of its business. This was the first year in the restaurant’s three decades that it has not had access to its deck.

“They already have the plans,” Gayaldo told The Bee. “They were supposed to fix it this year. Due to their budget shortfall, they told us that we were no longer going to get our deck fixed.”

The Sacramento River flows by the Rio City Cafe on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The Old Sacramento restaurant, which rents its property from the city of Sacramento, has lost the use of its popular deck because of its landlord’s failure to make necessary repairs.
The Sacramento River flows by the Rio City Cafe on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The Old Sacramento restaurant, which rents its property from the city of Sacramento, has lost the use of its popular deck because of its landlord’s failure to make necessary repairs.

He said city officials had said the deck would be fixed next year, but it didn’t seem that that would happen either.

Tim Swanson, a city spokesman, has said the cost to fix the deck was estimated at $5 million, and city officials had not been able to find the necessary funding to complete the deck repairs. Swanson also said the city could decide to reduce the rent if “construction is not completed.”

In Monday’s Facebook post, Rio City Cafe management thanked their customers for allowing them to be a part of their lives.

“The love and memories that have been created serving our food and drinks here along the river are truly unforgettable,” the restaurant’s management said. “An extra special thank you to our loyal staff, both past and present, who have been a part of this incredible journey with us. Thank you for years of dedication, support, and friendship turned into family!”

The Bee’s Tom Philp and Hector Amezcua contributed to this story.