5 years after changing Panchitas #2 at 530 Valencia St., the informal eatery Los Amigos closed its doorways final month. Its blue and white signal with a inexperienced flower and a Salvadorian map nonetheless stays atop the constructing at sixteenth and Valencia streets, alongside the phrase “bienvenidos” above the doorway.
Throughout its 5 years of operation, Los Amigos supplied a wide range of Salvadoran and Mexican dishes that included ceviche, tamales, empanadas, pupusas, nachos, burritos and even paella. Though this reporter by no means had the prospect to strive its menu, a few of its evaluations known as the restaurant’s meals and repair worthwhile.
“Wonderful pupusa spot. It didn’t get a 5/5 as a result of I’ve undoubtedly had ridiculously scrumptious pupusas in Los Angeles, however this place is aware of what they’re doing,” learn one of many evaluations.
Regardless of constructive evaluations, the restaurant couldn’t make it.
Close by enterprise house owners and their staff mentioned that each house owners Miguel Ramirez and Luis Rodriguez advised them they had been having hassle getting prospects, and that the lease was getting too costly. Neither proprietor might be reached for remark.
The proprietor of Sextant Espresso, Kinani Ahmed, nonetheless remembers a dialog he had with one of many Los Amigos house owners when he got here to get some espresso, shortly earlier than the closure. “He mentioned enterprise was low and that issues weren’t trying good for them,” mentioned Ahmed, who mentioned he was unhappy to see one other small enterprise shut its doorways.
There at the moment are at the least three empty areas simply throughout the road from Sextant, on the block of Valencia between seventeenth and sixteenth streets: Five and Diamond, which closed in January; West of Pecos, which closed final October; and now Los Amigos.
Ramirez and Rodriguez needed to shut the second location of Los Amigos in the Castro at 2295 Market St. final September, simply six months after its opening.
Neighbor Maureen Bogues mentioned she had deliberate to fulfill a buddy who was visiting from out of city at Los Amigos on Monday evening, however as an alternative discovered the house darkish and empty.
“It’s so unhappy to see one other enterprise shut. The meals was actually good,” mentioned Bogues. “I’m not an professional in Salvadoran meals, however it was at all times scorching and attractive. The pupusas had been scrumptious and the service was attentive and pleasant.”
Bogues nonetheless remembers a combo plate of tamales and pupusas she had throughout considered one of her final visits — “So yummy,” she mentioned.
One of many house owners of Muddy Waters Espresso Home, positioned simply throughout from the Los Amigos, mentioned it was scary to see the variety of companies struggling to remain afloat. He mentioned the middle bike lane on Valencia has contributed to slower gross sales all through the hall after the loss of 48 parking areas.
In a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority assembly final week, Ted Egan, the town’s chief economist, said the hall had skilled one of many slowest recoveries within the metropolis, however rejected the thought of blaming the bike lane for it.
“After accounting for these different adjustments, these bikeway enhancements don’t contribute to explaining why Valencia has had weak enterprise efficiency,” he mentioned. The bike lane, he continued, “doesn’t have any impact, both constructive or damaging.”