Longtime restaurant veterans come together to revive San Francisco Street Bar & Grill
Sep. 25—San Francisco Street Bar & Grill is coming back. In its old location. With three new owners more familiar than anybody with restaurant founder Rob Day's concept.
Day originally opened San Francisco Street Bar & Grill at Plaza Mercado in 1985 before moving a few doors east in 2002 to 50 E. San Francisco Street. But Day sold the restaurant in 2012, and it never reopened after the March 2020 coronavirus pandemic closures.
Day also launched Santa Fe Bar & Grill in 2002 in DeVargas Center and sold that, too, last year to Josh Gerwin, who melded his Dr. Field Goods concept with Santa Fe Bar & Grill to create Dr. Field Goods Bar & Grill.
Twenty-year Santa Fe Bar & Grill veterans Carlos Rivas, Sergio Sanchez and Victor Medina stayed on but already discussed their future with Day before the sale was final.
Rivas, Sanchez and Medina will resurrect San Francisco Street Bar & Grill in the same 50 E. San Francisco St. location with the retired Day serving as a mentor.
Sanchez and Medina left Dr. Field Goods in early September, while Rivas stepped away in July. Rivas summed up their departures as "too many chefs in the kitchen."
They expect to open San Francisco Street Bar & Grill in mid to late October.
A year ago, knowing Santa Fe Bar & Grill's ownership would change, Rivas, Sanchez and Day chatted about the future. Rivas was a chef there and Sanchez bussed tables, both for 20 years.
"We were going to see how it goes [at Dr. Field Goods]," Rivas said. "We also said if we can find a small place and put in the effort together, we could open a deli. We had a conversation, Sergio and I. We [have] spent enough time working for other people. We can put all the experience we have to use for ourselves."
Day also saw their dream as a "small take-away" — something he could mentor them on without all the complications of modern business that drove him away from restaurant ownership.
Then Medina heard this spring that the 50 San Francisco St. location was available. Lone Spur Cafe had occupied it starting in summer 2021, but the doors were padlocked by the end of 2022. Medina had worked 25 years as a chef at San Francisco Street Bar & Grill and kitchen manager at Santa Fe Bar & Grill.
The idea of a little deli suddenly grew into reviving San Francisco Street Bar & Grill.
"It's a legendary restaurant," Rivas said. "It's a lot of responsibility. We hope the people get a flashback, maybe not 40 years ago but 20 years ago."
Rivas said 35% of the menu will be based on the 1985 menu when San Francisco Street Bar & Grill opened. Another 35% will be based on Santa Fe Bar & Grill — Day did say the two restaurants had a lot in common — and another 20% will be Italian.
Diners can look forward to the traditional hamburger from 1985, Italian sausage sandwich, grilled cheese sandwich, red chile hummus, steak salad, shrimp salad and fish of the day.
"Things change all the time," Rivas said. "We want to keep some of the things that keep people happy."
San Francisco Street Bar & Grill will not have an executive chef.
"We will do that between the two of us," Rivas said about him and Medina. "Maybe one of us will be, eventually."
Sanchez will manage the front of house.
The trio believe the hours will be 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with lunch and dinner six days a week and just lunch on Sunday.
Day was happy to mentor for a deli. Bringing in San Francisco Street Bar & Grill adds an overwhelming element, but he has stuck to mentoring his former crew.
"I'm excited for them," Day said. "I am truly trying to help them facilitate into the business. For me, being able to see that go forward is rewarding. The public knows what the concept is. They know these guys."
