Fisherman's Wharf's Oldest Restaurant Castagnola's Will Reopen, After Settling Messy Lawsuit With the City

"The crab cocktail will flow again at Fisherman's Wharf steak-and-seafood spot Castagnola's, which has been closed since the pandemic and embroiled in a $1.1 million lawsuit over unpaid rent, but they've just settled that lawsuit. We've lost a number of those old-style Fisherman's Wharf seafood restaurants since the pandemic hit, because the sudden elimination of tourists (and a lack of local regulars patronizing the places) made those large-scale restaurants an untenable proposition."

"Many of those restaurant buildings along the Wharf are owned and leased by the Port of San Francisco, who offered rent deferral during the pandemic. Castagnola's reportedly did not take the deal, and was sued by the Port for $300,000 of unpaid rent in September 2021. That saga just continued to get uglier, as Castagnola's was then hit with another May 2023 lawsuit from Port seeking surrender of the premises and all back rent. The Port then filed an unlawful detainer and eviction case against Castagnola's a year later."

"But we learned more on Tuesday at the SF Board of Supervisors' meeting, when the board unanimously approved a settlement deal with Castagnola's. The approved deal allows Castagnola's to settle their $1,123,884 back rent debt with just a $300,000 payment, but also requires the restaurant to pay no less than $900,000 for physical improvements to the Premises. According to the details of the settlement, Castagnola's has already paid $200,000 worth of the $300,000 settlement."

Castagnola's, a Fisherman's Wharf steak-and-seafood restaurant closed since the pandemic and opened in 1916, will reopen after settling long-standing rent disputes. The Port of San Francisco, landlord of many Wharf buildings, sued Castagnola's multiple times over unpaid rent after the restaurant declined a rent-deferral offer during the pandemic. The settlement approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors reduces a $1,123,884 back-rent claim to a $300,000 payment and requires at least $900,000 in physical improvements to the premises. Castagnola's has already paid $200,000 toward the settlement and must complete the investment obligation before reopening.

Read at sfist.com