FIDI — A 47-year-old San Francisco gay bar mainstay closed for good on Friday October 31. Ginger’s owner Brian Sheeh told SFGATE that “traffic to Ginger’s has not been consistently strong.” That said, a new general manager might bring the bar back; Sheeh said the bar is “on ice for now.”
OAKLAND — Blake Cole’s queer bar and restaurant Friends and Family will close on Tuesday, December 30. The accolade-studded operation was popular for a chef-driven menu and upscale drinks. The business will be available for private events in January and February.
OAKLAND — The East Bay’s final Kasper’s Hot Dogs outposts have closed. In mid-October, the owner’s daughter Teresa Belfanti told SFGATE both the Oakland’s MacArthur Boulevard and the Concord locations closed. The 95-year-old business was hugely popular for, yes, hot dogs. Oakland nonprofit Oakland Trybe will take over the MacArthur Boulevard space for a new food operation.
BERKELEY — The vegetarian Indian restaurant mainstay Jot Mahal Palace of Indian Cuisine on College Avenue has closed. East Bay Nosh reports newcomer Chandni Chowk has already opened in the space as of Tuesday, October 28. The other Jot Mahal on the corners of Shattuck and Cedar Street remains open.
CUPERTINO — Mooncake dealer and Hong Kong-inspired outfit Kee Wah Bakery will operate only in the Los Angeles area. Ownership took to Facebook to let its fans know that the Dublin and Cupertino outposts closed on Sunday, October 5.
SAN JOSE — The 10-year-old Olla Cocina closed permanently on Sunday, October 19, per the San Francisco Chronicle. The downtown San Jose restaurant — known for mole plates with rice and poached chicken — suffered due to a lack of foot traffic in the area. General manager Parbiz Pazoki told the paper that office workers specifically were paramount to the restaurant’s success.