Original Joe's Walnut Creek opened with a splash on Aug. 14 but remains closed after a kitchen fire reported just after midnight the following Monday. The Duggan family confirmed facility improvements are underway at the Broadway Plaza corner but did not provide an estimated timeline for reopening. Damage was not considered major, yet the restaurant closed three days after a well-attended opening that included a priest's blessing, a mayoral speech and long lines. Evidence of repairs is visible from the lobby, and the exhibition kitchen was covered with a tarp. Social media buzz and an "incredible" opening weekend preceded the closure.
To herald Original's Joe's third Bay Area location, a priest gave a blessing and Walnut Creek's mayor made a speech, followed by an old-fashioned ribbon cutting. People lined up around the block to get seats after the restaurant officially opened its doors at 11 a.m. Diners were eager to enjoy a taste of the hearty, home-style pastas, appetizers, burgers and other dishes for which Original Joe's first became famous in San Francisco nearly 90 years ago.
The damage it caused wasn't considered "major" but it forced Original Joe's to close its doors, just three days after orchestrating one of the buzziest, new-restaurant openings in the city's downtown for quite some time. But seven days later, evidence of ongoing repairs from the fire damage could be seen from the restaurant lobby. On Thursday evening, the restaurant's signature "exhibition kitchen," which is open to the main dining room, was hidden behind a tarp.
Collection
[
|
...
]