San Francisco restaurant Che Fico has closed its Alamo Square outpost indefinitely after “significant damage” caused by a fire Thursday.
Che Fico owner David Nayfeld shared an Instagram post on Friday informing customers that fire damage would require him to close the California-Italian restaurant for an uncertain period of time. Nayfeld, who appeared disheartened on camera, said that running a restaurant business can be “soul-crushing,” and the recent fire had made operations especially challenging.
“This business is hard. It’s hard … but every time that dining room is full and the community is having the time of their lives, and I walk through it, and I get to feel that energy, you know it’s worth it for that. But, you know … this is a hard day.”
Specific details regarding the fire damage are unknown. A spokesperson for Che Fico declined to comment.
Firefighters were dispatched to the 800 block of Divisadero Street to respond to a one-alarm fire, the San Francisco Fire Department posted on social media Thursday. Fire crews found fire in the building’s flue and roof that was contained by 4:25 p.m., which allowed firefighters to prevent the flames from spreading, according to an SFFD statement shared with SFGATE. SFFD told SFGATE that the fire, which was fully under control by 5:07 p.m. Thursday, remains under investigation. No one was injured in the fire, and Neyfield thanked his employees for following “all of our evacuation drills that we had been practicing perfectly.”
In his Instagram post, Nayfeld said that Che Fico employees will be able to transfer over to his other businesses under his restaurant group, Back Home Hospitality, amid the closure. Nayfeld currently operates three other San Francisco restaurants — Che Fico Pizzeria, Via Aurelia and the recently opened Golden Rule, which are all located in or near Thrive City in Mission Bay. Nayfeld also has a second Che Fico location, along with a fast-casual Jewish and Mediterranean restaurant called Bubbelah, both of which are in Menlo Park.
While the timeline for the Divisadero Street Che Fico is unknown, Nayfeld was hopeful that it would reopen in the future to a better version of itself.
“Che Fico is going to get rebuilt, we’re going to open up, we’re going to be better than ever,” he said, promising to share details with the restaurant’s followers as they come up.
Dining and Cooking