{"id":214858,"date":"2026-03-11T13:35:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/214858\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T13:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:35:10","slug":"restaurateurs-are-diving-in-for-their-chance-at-this-iconic-embarcadero-waterfront-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/214858\/","title":{"rendered":"Restaurateurs are diving in for their chance at this \u2018iconic\u2019 Embarcadero waterfront spot"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the first time since Richard Nixon was president, one of the Embarcadero\u2019s prime dining locations is available for lease and expected to undergo a complete overhaul \u2014 a sink-or-swim moment for the north waterfront dining scene.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

A new restaurant at Pier 7, an \u201ciconic\u201d spot between the Ferry Building<\/a> and the Exploratorium, could become the \u201cbig, fluffy tail\u201d that wags the dog on the prominent promenade, said Catherine Meunier of real estate agency Maven, which is marketing the space for the Port of San Francisco.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not looking for someone who\u2019s going to coast on the views,\u201d Meunier said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The views, it should be said, are spectacular, with a panorama of the bay and the ongoing development at Treasure Island<\/a> and Yerba Buena Island front and center.<\/p>\n

Pier 7 was home to The Waterfront Restaurant from 1969 until late last year (opens in new tab)<\/a>, when the operators placed a sign on the front door saying their days of selling sustainable seafood and Wagyu steaks were over.<\/p>\n

Maven\u2019s Santino DeRose, who is co-listing the space and had his engagement dinner at The Waterfront Restaurant, called the closure \u201cbittersweet.\u201d Operators Al and Cheryl Falchi \u201cclearly loved their time at Pier 7, but also felt it was the right moment to step away,\u201d he said. The Falchis declined to comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since the closure at the end of December, restaurateurs have been inquiring to peek inside the nearly 10,000-square-foot property, which has two kitchens and room for 350 inside, plus a glassed-in patio, tented patio, and parking lot.<\/p>\n

\"PedestriansThe glassed-in patio offers bay and people-watching views. | Source: Photo by Diane Bentley-Raymond<\/p>\n

Some are experienced operators who have been waiting years for this generational opportunity, while others are up-and-comers seeking the chance to make their mark.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since the restaurant is on land owned by the Port of San Francisco, any overhaul would require crews paid prevailing wages; Meunier estimates this would run $600 to $1,000 per square foot \u2014 upward of $9 million for the indoor space alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Old-school might be in again<\/a>, but Meunier can\u2019t imagine anything less than a complete gut job. \u201cTo be relevant again, this space needs someone to come in and really put in some elbow grease,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She is expecting official proposals from at least three groups, although a few others are planning repeat visits over the next few weeks with architects and equity partners in tow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This week, one of the parties touring the space included Larry Mindel, former owner of Italian restaurant chain Il Fornaio and current owner of Poggio in Sausalito and Copita in Sausalito and San Jose. His entourage included his son, grandson, director of operations, and Anthony Fish of Arcanum Architecture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got good bones, and I think the space was underutilized previously. We could make something really amazing,\u201d said Fish, whose firm designed Little Original Joe\u2019s, Angler, and Samovar Tea Bar, among other San Francisco spots.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At 88, Mindel chooses projects carefully, he said. He\u2019d all but ruled out the idea of opening a new restaurant until his son mentioned Pier 7, just next door to one of first offices on the Embarcadero.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mindel hasn\u2019t decided on a concept, but he\u2019s got a chef in mind who is an avid fisherman and seeking a spot to serve what he catches himself.\u00a0 Mindel imagines that the local seafood would share the menu with classically fancy imported fare, like Maine lobster.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a really interesting challenge,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it\u2019s done right it could be the fabulous restaurant in the city.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"ATo be a success, the spot at the end of Broadway, between the Ferry Building and the Exploratorium, must attract tourists and locals. | Source: Photo by Diane Bentley-Raymond<\/p>\n

His son Michael said it is time for the north waterfront to shine again, after focus has shifted south to the Dogpatch<\/a> and Mission Rock<\/a>. \u201cFrom Fisherman\u2019s Wharf basically to this spot has been fallow for a period of time, and the city is ready to have this premier part become what it used to be, which was a very vibrant part of the waterfront,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Ferry Building has managed to navigate a turnaround<\/a> since early 2021, when several spots shuttered during the pandemic. The hope for Pier 7 is that it can also manage to bring in a magic mix of tourists and locals.<\/p>\n

The port has a tenant improvement budget, but that is focused on basic infrastructure, like maintenance of the pier itself. The restaurant lease would be long term \u2014 at least 10 years \u2014 and rent would be a combination of a base and a percentage of sales. But, as with everything in real estate, the terms are negotiable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Interest has come entirely from local operators with visions that include seafood, Asian, Italian, or a steakhouse, all with dynamic new interiors that won\u2019t detract from the water views. <\/p>\n

\u201cI can see it being a very cool spot \u2014 a party spot,\u201d said Meunier. \u201cWe want this to be here another 50 years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the first time since Richard Nixon was president, one of the Embarcadero\u2019s prime dining locations is available…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":214859,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[3010,10470,143,145,144,412],"class_list":["post-214858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-commercial-real-estate","tag-embarcadero","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news","tag-restaurants"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}