Legacy restaurants on Fillmore Street told to vacate by new owners

SAN FRANCISCO ( KRON ) – Family-run restaurants on San Francisco’s Fillmore Street are facing closure after serving the neighborhood for nearly half a century. Many of them are being told by new landlords that they cannot renew their leases.

The owners of sushi restaurant Ten-Ichi say they have a little over a month before they must close their doors. It is just one of several businesses renting on Filmore Street facing permanent closures.

Steve Amano says he was one year old when his parents opened the sushi restaurant on Fillmore Street. He calls the restaurant his “little brother” since it opened nearly a year to the day he was born. It’s been in the same location for 46 years.

“Kids will come in and now those kids have their own kids who come here,” Amano said.

He and his sister now run the restaurant. A couple of months ago, he got an email from his landlord saying he was selling the building to a company called Great Stage LLC.

He was prepared for the new owner to hike his rent, but instead, he was told he could not renew his lease.

“You guys need to get out. A new buyer is coming in. The buyer has a new vision for your space,” Amano recalls.

Amano says they have to be out by Sept. 30. The last day of business will be the week before.

Around the same time, the city is recognizing Ten-Ichi as a legacy business.

“Customers are going to be crying, we are going to be crying, my mom will be crying. I’m not looking forward to that day,” he said.

Those customers have rallied behind Amano, creating a GoFundMe page to raise money for a new location.

Across the street, the owners of another legacy restaurant – La Mediterranee – are also being told they must close when their lease runs out in May 2025.

Levon and Vanick Der Bedrossian say their landlord sold the building to the same group of investors.

“Their intent is to revitalize Fillmore, but for us, that means turning it into high-end retail,” Vanick said.

Levon opened it 45 years ago, and his son Vanick runs the restaurant now. He’s still holding on to hope that they can negotiate a renewal.

“We are a great tenant and our intention is to stay here and work with the landlords on a solution,” Vanick said.

The two say a group of investors are also scooping up several other buildings, many of which are already vacant with signs citing various reasons for closing.

“I think it’s about six or seven businesses on the block, so it seems the restaurants are really getting targeted around here,” Vanick said

The two worry about what this might do to the neighborhood.

“Definitely feels like the kinds of moves they are making would benefit downtown, not a neighborhood that already has a strong sense of identity and presence,” Vanick said.

KRON4 reached out to the new owners – but did not hear back in time for this story. There is no official word on what they want to do with all this property.

Both restaurant owners say they’ve been in touch with Supervisor Catherine Stefani.

“Long-standing small businesses are the heart and character of our neighborhoods. I’m deeply concerned about losing these legacy businesses and will continue to ensure that any decisions about Fillmore Street’s future involve the community,” Stefani told KRON4.

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