Two decades ago, when he opened his first restaurant in the renovated lobby of the Westin St. Francis in Union Square, Michael Mina was trying to make his name as a chef in San Francisco and win a Michelin star.
Now he’s a mogul partnering with the Bay Area’s biggest celebrity: Stephen Curry.
Mina will return this fall to the St. Francis, where he intends to open a new version of his Bourbon Steak concept at 335 Powell St. It is expected to employ around 150 people. Next to the restaurant will be a 40-seat, bourbon-driven bar, The Eighth Rule, from Curry, who in recent years has developed a whiskey brand. Both are scheduled to open in October.
The two leases will be part of a spate of recent or impending openings in Union Square, including Nintendo, Shoe Palace, and Pop Mart.
“Creating my own bourbon brand paired with my friendship with Michael is like a master class in hospitality,” Curry said in a statement. “I’ve always dreamt of creating my own little haven to bring people together, and now we have the perfect location. I cannot wait for people to come and see what we have in store.”
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Curry’s Thirty Ink organization comprises eight businesses and 13 entities connected to the Warriors star, including Gentleman’s Cut, a bourbon brand distilled in Boone County, Kentucky.
Mina, whose group operates 25 restaurants around the world, is no stranger to the Curry family.
He partnered with Ayesha Curry on International Smoke, a global barbecue restaurant in the Millennium Tower that opened in 2017.
He said in a statement that the Westin St. Francis holds extra significance to him as the place that launched his career.
“I don’t say this lightly, but it is one of the most beautiful restaurants I’ve ever built,” Mina said. “Opening alongside Stephen is the icing on the cake.”