The following is a list of notable Bay Area restaurants that closed in February 2026. Click here for restaurants that closed in January.
We Be Sushi, a 39-year-old restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District that served sushi rolls and nigiri, has quietly closed. Chef-owner Andy Tonozuka, 76, decided to retire, according to Mission Local. The restaurant’s name came from a contest, which became “notorious” to coverage from famed Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, according We Be Sushi’s website. At its peak, We Be Sushi operated five locations in the city.
San Francisco Italian restaurant Bettola served its last meals on Feb. 14. Owner Gianluca Legrottaglie is transforming the Clement Street space into a gluten-free trattoria called Clementina. The new restaurant is a continuation of Legrottaglie’s gluten-free pasta popup, Alice, according to an announcement. Legrottaglie opened Bettola in 2024; it served a variety of takeout-friendly meals, such as rotisserie chickens, baked pastas and crispy porchetta.
Gianluca Legrottaglie and Viviana Devoto, co-owners of San Francisco Italian restaurant and market Bettola, closed the business in February. (Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle)
Legrottaglie also closed one of his popular Roman pizzerias, Montesacro Pinseria in San Francisco’s Marina District, according to an announcement. Two Montesacro locations still operate in SoMa and Walnut Creek.
Korean-Thai restaurant Kothai Republic closed for good in San Francisco on Feb. 15. Chef-owner Park Sung told the San Francisco Standard that his Inner Sunset restaurant struggled with inconsistent business. The restaurant opened in 2023 and offered dishes like tom yum, kalbi and grilled hamachi collar with nam jim.
A smashburger from Hi-Way Burger in San Francisco. (Caleb Pershan/The Chronicle)
A note posted in the front window of the North Beach location of San Francisco’s Hi-Way Burger, known for no-frills hamburgers and hot dogs, announced its closure and thanked patrons for their support. This location opened in 2022 and quietly closed in late February. Another Hi-Way Burger still operates in Noe Valley.
San Francisco bakery Flour & Branch has closed in SoMa after four years. Owner Lauren Arnsdorff wrote on Instagram that the business will be relocating to an unspecified location. Brunch fare and baked goods, such as cookies and pies, were popular items.
Korean restaurant Seoul Mama in Newark announced that low sales forced its closing. The low-key strip mall restaurant offered dishes like beef tofu soups and grilled pork belly. Its last day of business was Feb. 28.
A pourover coffee and chocolate croissant at the Emerald Lounge in San Francisco, which has closed. (Mario Cortez / S.F. Chronicle)
A San Francisco coffee shop tucked inside the lobby of a historic art deco building has shut down. The owner of the Emerald Lounge, which opened last spring, posted on Instagram that she hoped to find a new location. The café offered espresso and drip beverages using beans from local roasters such as Grand Coffee and Poor Boy Coffee.
Oakland cocktail bar the Barbary is permanently closed. The business announced in October that it would close temporarily for construction, but never returned. A transfer of the beer and liquor license for the address to a new owner was issued on Feb. 6. A new business, Sable Lounge, has been registered with the city at this address.
Water Street Bistro, a 27-year-old restaurant by the Petaluma River, closed on Feb. 6. Owner Stephanie Rastetter wrote on Facebook that there were “many factors” behind the closing but did not cite any specifics. The Petaluma Argus Courier first reported the closure.
A Sonoma County pizzeria has served its last diners. Il Fuoco in Boyes Hot Springs closed on Jan. 1, the Sonoma Index-Tribune reported. Owner Rob Larman said it was due to a shrinking customer base,rising costs and sluggish post-pandemic recovery. Il Fuoco opened in 2021 at the former site of Larman’s barbecue restaurant, Cochon Volant, and was a popular spot for wood-fired pizza.
Meatless restaurant Vegan Mob has closed its Vallejo location. (Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle)
Vegan Mob has closed its Vallejo restaurant, the business announced on Instagram. The Bay Area plant-based soul food and barbecue operation opened the location in 2025, offering candied yams and combos with fried meat substitutes. Vegan Mob, which was born in Oakland, once operated a food truck in San Francisco and at Bay Area ghost kitchens. Its highlighter-green truck still serves customers in Oakland’s Grand Lake neighborhood.
Walnut Creek has said goodbye to its last remaining Genova Deli. The 58-year-old Italian deli and market closed on Feb. 17, just months after its other Walnut Creek location shut down. In an email newsletter, management cited “increasing economic challenges” in recent years. The delis originated with Oakland’s Genova Deli, founded in 1926, and were known for items like pickled artichokes and Italian sandwiches. The Chronicle ranked Genova Deli among the best restaurants in Walnut Creek. A Napa outpost remains in business.
Popular sports bar Athletic Club Oakland closed after seven years in business. (Justin Phillips)
The owners of popular sports bar Athletic Club Oakland shocked longtime customers with the news that Super Bowl Sunday was its last day after eight years in business. Co-owner and founder Miles Palliser told the Chronicle that the bar was not performing as well as it had pre-pandemic, with revenue down 30% compared to the 2019. He and co-owner Ezra Berman sold their other sports bar, San Francisco Athletic Club, last year.
This article originally published at After 39 years, an S.F. sushi favorite quietly closes.
