On prediction market sites like Polymarket or Kalshi, you can bet on everything from “Who will be the next James Bond (opens in new tab)?” to “Will Jesus Christ return before 2027 (opens in new tab)?”
But while they seek wagers on ridiculous topics like these, these sites overlook a local issue that’s near and dear to our hearts and stomachs: the dining scene. So, we’re turning to the wisdom of the crowds, aka Standard readers, to predict which among three stalled restaurant projects will open first.
We can’t offer you the chance to get fabulously wealthy, but everyone who correctly picks the business that opens first will be entered into a drawing for a free meal there.
Here are the contenders: the Cliff House, Anchor Brewing, and Jollibee.
The Cliff House is supposed to reopen this year. | Source: Noah Berger for The Standard
The Cliff House, the landmark venue near Land’s End on National Park Service grounds, has been closed since 2020. Since 1909, when it moved to its third location, the restaurant had attracted tourists and anyone else willing to pay for one of the best views in the city.
Alexander Leff, the operator selected by the parks service, has rights to the space, though he’ll need to pay a fee to the nonprofit Western Neighborhoods Project for permission to use the Cliff House name. Leff told The Standard in September that although it will take at least $10 million to renovate the property, he plans to open the first of three restaurants there this year. More recent attempts to contact Leff were unsuccessful.
Beer drinkers await the promised reopening of Anchor Brewing. | Source: Jeremy Chen/The Standard
After pumping out steam beer and other varieties for 127 years as the country’s oldest craft brewer, Anchor Brewing closed its doors in Potrero Hill in 2023. But the billionaire founder of Chobani yogurt bought the company less than a year later, sparking hopes of a rebirth.
In December, members of Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya’s team told The Standard they still plan to reopen the facility, which includes a brewhouse and taproom, but did not provide a timeline. They did not respond to a more recent inquiry. The Anchor Brewing website says it’s a “work in progress.”
Then there’s Jollibee. The Filipino fast-food chain has been surprisingly slow-moving when it comes to opening on Market Street, its first and only outpost in San Francisco. The appearance of signage on the Mid-Market retail space last summer was treated like a major breakthrough, (opens in new tab) but things have been quiet for months. Jollibee’s website says the location is “opening soon.” A spokesperson did not offer specifics.
We’ll reveal the results in 48 hours.