The Gold Cauliflower & Green Chlie Pakoras at Millennium restaurant In San Francisco, Calif., is seen on June 17th, 2011. Photo: The Chronicle/John Storey
Apparently you can leave the Hotel California.
Following two decades of business in the Nob Hill hotel, San Francisco vegan pioneer Millennium will shut down at this spring.
The last day of business for Millennium within the confines of the Hotel California will be April 30.
San Francisco vegan restaurant Millennium is closing. Photo: The Chronicle/John Storey
The restaurant announced the closure today by penning the following goodbye note, which actually explains the situation pretty thoroughly. Also of note: longtime chef-partner Eric Tucker — who mentored many vegetable loving chefs in the Bay Area, including Sean Baker — is also teasing a future Bay Area restaurant of his own.
Here is the vegan mecca’s farewell missive, which has sparked an outpouring of vegan grief on Facebook:
To our dear fans,
After more than 20 years in business, and with the end of our lease, we will serve our last meal as Millennium at 580 Geary St on April 30, 2015. We are so grateful to our co-workers, family, farmers & friends who have made the experience of running this restaurant unforgettable.
The Hotel California was recently sold to Pineapple Hospitality, a
Seattle company. They will be doing an extensive renovation and we have been notified that they do not wish to continue to have a restaurant as part of their hotel.After 20+ years Larry and Ann Wheat, the principal owners of Millennium, have decided to retire from the restaurant business after Millennium closes on or about May 1, 2015. They have made a significant contribution to the success of Millennium and consider it their contribution to the vegetarian movement. They have said that they will miss the staff and customers they have met over the years.
Eric Tucker, Millennium’s executive chef since inception and co-owner of Millennium, will be opening a restaurant with Millennium’s General Manager Alison Bagby. They have worked together for the past 8.5 years and will continue to serve organic plant based cuisine. In Eric’s words, “we want to keep this thing going”. They are currently evaluating potential locations and looking for investors. While the prospect of closing is a sad one, they both see this as an opportunity to improve upon Millennium’s dining room and location.
The cost of running a restaurant in San Francisco, using the best ingredients possible and making the entire menu from scratch daily, combined with our shared affinity for the East Bay have us leaning in that direction but we are also actively looking in San Francisco.
To everyone who has become part of the Millennium family–we could not have done what we did for so long without you—THANK YOU.
Please visit us in the next 3 months and stay tuned for Eric’s
Kickstarter campaign. If you are interested in investing, please contact us at betarestaurants@gmail.comGratefully Yours,
The Millennium Family
Millennium Restaurant: 580 Geary Street, at Jones, San Francisco. (415) 345-3900. millenniumrestaurant.com.
