The Grotto and Tarantino’s, both located on Fisherman’s Wharf, are being evacuated.
May A. via Yelp
The Port of San Francisco is vacating two longstanding Fisherman’s Wharf restaurants: the Grotto and Tarantino’s, the San Francisco Business Times first reported. The two restaurants, both owned by Chris Henry, have a combined $1.4 million in back rent, a Port of San Francisco representative told SFGATE.
“The port is focused on economic recovery and the creation of a vibrant waterfront,” said a statement from Port of San Francisco representative Boris Delepine. “We have been working with Mr. Henry and working hard to develop a reopening plan. Unfortunately, these plans were not feasible given the $1.4 million in back rent owed. However, we remain open and willing to explore short- and long-term strategies to keep both restaurants open and active.”
The Grotto, at 2847 Taylor St., first opened in 1935. Tarantino’s at 206 Jefferson St. first opened in 1946. Henry also owns Tommy’s Joynt in San Francisco and Sausalito’s Barrel House Tavern. Henry did not respond to SFGATE’s request for comment in time for publication.
Advertising
The article continues below this ad
On Sept. 13, both the Grotto and Tarantino’s were served three-day notices requiring them to pay rent or vacate the premises, court documents show. On September 26, the Port of San Francisco filed a complaint of unlawful detention in San Francisco Superior Court. According to the lawsuits, the Grotto owes about $332,642 in rent and Tarantino’s owes about $147,436 in rent as of October 2022.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle (Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms), the larger $1.4 million in unpaid rent shared by the Port also includes previous months’ unpaid rent, said the San Francisco Chronicle.