Barely five months after it switched to become a more casual concept in the heart of one of San Francisco’s best-known dining corridors, a New American restaurant has abruptly shuttered.
Luna, an unrelated successor to the long-running brunch spot Luna Park, opened as an upscale brasserie in its similarly named predecessor’s home on Valencia Street in the Mission in January 2021, sharing some co-owners with noted Downtown San Francisco restaurant Wayfare Tavern. It switched to a more casual concept earlier this year, and the New American-style Luna’s brief tenure was notable for its roast chicken, cocktails and bottomless-mimosa weekend brunches.
It was also easily identified by the historical, renovated neon sign that hangs over a leafy, heavily trafficked block of Valencia in close proximity to numerous well-regarded eateries, like Tacolicious, Yellow Moto Pizzeria and Dandelion Chocolate.
The closure appears to have been abrupt, with one staffer telling The Standard that employees were retroactively notified on Tuesday that Sunday had been the last day of service and paid time off would not be paid out.
In response, Andrea Boyd, Luna’s marketing and events manager, stated that there was no PTO policy for hourly or part-time employees.
“Upon the notice of Luna’s closure, all employees were promptly paid in full for any outstanding wages owed to them and provided information on unemployment benefits,” Boyd said.
The restaurant’s phone number is working, but the website has been taken down. Although Yelp indicates that the restaurant is only on hiatus and will return on Aug. 1, a tersely written sign posted on the front door is somewhat more definitive about the closure’s permanence.
“We have decided to close LUNA,” it reads. “We want to thank you all for your support over our time. We hope you have a good summer.”
This story has been updated with a comment from Andrea Boyd, Luna’s marketing and event manager, and to add some clarification on the restaurant’s ownership structure.
