A 90-year-old family-run Italian restaurant has been sold after no more family members could be found to run it.
San Francisco’s Tommaso’s Italian Restaurant has been sold after more than 50 years by the Crotti family.
One of the owners Carmen Crotti previously He told San Francisco Gate that she and her co-owners had hoped another family member would take over, but that was not possible after they chose different career paths.
“This has been more than just a business for us, as over the years our customers have become an integral part of our family,” the Crotti family said in a statement Monday.
“The reason for our retirement is simple: we’ve been here for 51 years, and aging and the physicality of running a restaurant take their toll,” Carmen told the Gate.
Tommaso’s, formerly Lupo’s, first opened its doors in 1935.
That being said, Tommasos has been our life, our clients have become family and we will miss him dearly.
“We will also be present until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition.”
The Crotti family will hand over the restaurant to new owners in December.
Carmen noted that very little will change under the new ownership, which plans to maintain the restaurant’s menu and name.
The staff will also remain after the restaurant changes hands, many of whom have worked at the restaurant for decades.
Tommaso’s, formerly called Lupo’s, was opened in 1935 by the Cantalupo family, who immigrated to San Francisco from Naples, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
It is said to have served food from the first wood-fired pizza oven on the West Coast.
The restaurant was sold in 1971 to chef Tommy Chin, who changed the name to Tommaso’s.
In 1973, the Crotti family purchased the establishment, kept the name and has run the local favorite ever since.
The city granted Tommaso’s Legacy Business status in 2017.
The Crotti family will take over ownership in December, after 51 years in the establishment
Across the United States, restaurants have been struggling more and more this year. Faced with rising costs, they have raised menu prices, but that has led to a drop in customers.
Larger chains like Applebee’s, TGI Fridays and Boston Market have recently closed restaurants, as have smaller chains like BurgerFi.
Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in May and also closed nearly 100 restaurants. New owners were announced this week: the debt-ridden chain reportedly owes $21 million on shrimp alone.
Chains have been hardest hit in California, where the minimum wage for fast-food restaurants rose to $20 an hour starting April 1.
In early June, Mexican chain Rubio’s closed 48 branches in the state and also filed for bankruptcy.
Family businesses like Tommasos’ have also closed.
Earlier this month, for example, Fargo’s Pit BBQ in Texas closed after more than two decades of serving brisket, ribs and other barbecue classics.
Last month, two classic Bay Area Italian restaurants closed on the same day.