Nopa, the bustling restaurant at the corner of Divisadero and Hayes in the Western Addition sub-neighborhood that came to be known as NoPa (north of Panhandle) two decades ago, is celebrating 20 years in business this week, and they had a big bash to mark the occasion on Thursday night.

It is hard to imagine the Divisadero corridor as it was in 2006, long before people were talking about its "Valencia-fication," seven years before Bi-Rite arrived, and back when it was only beginning to show signs of the neighborhood main drag it has become. Sure, Popeye's has been there the whole time, and 20 years ago you could already get good deep-dish pizza (Little Star, RIP) and seafood (Bar Crudo) there. But the stretch of Divis between Haight Street and Geary Boulevard was mostly known for autobody shops, gas stations, and the car wash where everyone brought their Burning Man RVs post-playa.

Nopa played a pivotal role in raising the profile of the area, which chef-owner Laurence Jossel called one of the "last affordable neighborhoods" in the city at the time the restaurant opened. And the restaurant helped usher in an era in which San Francisco's profile on the national food scene grew significantly — becoming a city where even neighborhood restaurants like Frances and Delfina were turning out world-class food, earning widespread attention, and in the case of Frances, a Michelin star.

Jossel and former business partners Jeff Hanak and Allyson Jossel (his ex-wife) had been on the hunt for a restaurant space in 2004, with the idea of opening an all-day restaurant.

"Allyson and I would sit across the street at the Beanbag Cafe, which is still there, drinking coffee, talking about all these spaces around town we'd looked at, and right across the street from us was a For Lease sign on an old laundromat, which was also prior to that was a bank," Jossel says. "We knew change-of-use permits were a big thing, but out of nowhere we thought, 'Wait a minute. Let's just be curious.'"

The partners then contacted the landlord, who also owned the Mission Street Denny's in SoMa, and they found out that the space could be used for a number of things including a restaurant, without a change-of-use. After a meeting over Grand Slam breakfasts, the landlord gave the trio a great deal on the space with a handshake, and after an extensive buildout, Nopa was born.

Jossel still laments the "tiny kitchen" that they designed, which has remained unchanged, but, he says, "I wanted a rotisserie, I wanted a fryer, I wanted a smoker, and a wood grill, and I kinda got everything I wanted."

"I think I wrote the menu two days before we opened," he says. Staple dishes like the country pork chop and the house-ground burger have been hits since the restaurant's earliest days. And it's been an expensive burger from the beginning — Jossel believes it was priced at $18 back in 2006, which was pricy back then, and it's now a $29 burger, with high-quality beef, he says, being more expensive than it's ever been.

Nopa was known from the beginning for being a place you could go and have a burger and a cocktail even if it was after midnight — something uncommon in sleepy San Francisco, and even less common now.

"We kept on running into people in the industry who lived in that neighborhood, and we thought, 'Wait a minute, if we can't do breakfast and lunch, late night makes sense in that space.'"

For the first 14 years of Nopa's existence, its kitchen was open until 1 am seven nights a week, turning it into a nototious industry hangout for folks getting off their shifts at other restuarants with saner hours.

"It took a toll on the staff," Jossel says. "We couldn't just keep having people clocking off at 3 or 4 in the morning all the time."

Similarly, brunch, which was a wildly popular thing at Nopa up until the pandemic, has become a less feasible thing to pull off, staffing wise — though Jossel and his wife and current business partner Holly Rhodes have discussed possibly, down the line, sacrificing Sunday night dinner service to make brunch work again.

"Brunch is a labor in itself," Jossel says, noting that they always made their own bread for the French toast, and made their own bagels, etc. "It just asks a lot of the team. Getting people to eat brunch? No problem. Getting people to work it and have a good attitude about it? That's a problem."

The ownership of the restaurant changed after the pandemic hit, with Jossel deciding to buy out his former partners and keep the place going, for the sake of the neighborhood and his employees. And after a year of doing takeout and adding a parklet like everyone else, Nopa has chugged right along, and there's a line just about every night before the doors open at 5:30 to snag a bar seat or a spot at the communal table.

When asked about the secret to Nopa's success and longevity, Jossel says, hands down, it's consistency.

"Every single day we taste every single dish as a team, in the kitchen, and then as a team in the dining room. And if that pork chop doesn't taste exactly as it did 19 years ago, something's wrong," Jossel says. "If you want people to come back again and again and again, I think consistency is a big factor in that."

Jossel also points to the menu, with new dishes appearing nightly since the restaurant's earliest days, driven by his thousands of shopping trips to farmers' markets and a commitment to serving seasonal, organic ingredients whenever possible.

The pandemic also added a new staple dish to the menu, the Morroccan-spiced Yaya's Fried Chicken.

After expanding with Nopa Fish at the Ferry Building last year, the next big project for the Nopa team is a farm that will produce ingredients exclusively for the restaurant, on a property that Jossel has acquired in Sebastopol. But, he says, there will be a big learning curve.

"It's a lot harder than I thought it would be," Jossel says. "I never took for granted that farmers were brave and smart. But, man, it is a ton of work to put food in the ground and harvest it and clean it and get it to its perfect ripeness and grow it properly."

Jossel says that about a half-acre of land will hopefully begin producing lettuces, eggplant, tomatoes, herbs, and more for the restaurant in the coming year or two, which he hopes will "push the menu forward."

When it comes to reaching the 20-year mark, Jossel also points to the boon of being centrally located and becoming a go-to dinner spot for hundreds if not thousands of neighbors.

"I would guesstimate that maybe 60 percent of our guests each night are return guests from the neighborhood," he says. "You just become part of their routine, and that's great."

Nopa - 560 Divisadero Street - Open Mon-Thur 5:30 to 10 pm, Fri-Sat 5:30 to 11 pm, and Sunday 5:30 to 9:30 pm - Reservations

It was August 14, 2006 when 17-year-old Aubrey Abrakasa was gunned down in front of a preschool at the corner of Baker and Grove streets in the NoPa neighborhood. San Francisco police and the victim's mother are marking another anniversary with a plea for the public's help to solve the murder.

Aubrey, who was days or weeks out from starting his senior year in high school, was leaving his mother's house nearby and was headed to his job as a youth counselor in Bernal Heights, when he saw a car coming fast down Baker Street. Witnesses say he shouted "Run!" to warn those around him, and as he ran, he was shot by someone in the car — some 30 rounds were fired, and Aubrey was hit 12 times in the back.

The motivations in the case remain a mystery to the SFPD — the prevailing theory seems to be that it was a case of mistaken identity, or that someone else on the street nearby was the real target. Aubreay was known to be a good student who stayed out of trouble, and none of this made sense at the time.

Former SFPD Chief Tony Chaplin said, back on the 10th anniversary of the murder in 2016, that investigators believe that a local gang was responsible, the Central Division Players, and Aubrey Abrakasa was not involved with any gang.

If this shooting had happened anytime in the last decade or so, chances would be high that the vehicle from which the shots were fired would have been caught on someone's Nest camera or other surveillance camera. But, instead, police have had to rely on a witness to come forward who recognized the shooter or someone in the car, or someone who was in the vehicle, or knew someone who was, would have to snitch.

Police, and Abrakasa's mother, Paulette Brown, are hoping that recently passed legislation making it easier to pay rewards to tipsters will help bring about a break in the case. A $250,000 reward remains on the table, and the legislation, passed by the Board of Supervisors in June, allows it to be paid when criminal charges are filed, and not after a conviction is won.

Tipsters can also now claim rewards while remaining anonymous, and regardless of whether they have past criminal histories.

Brown has spent the almost two decades since her son was killed working as an advocate for crime victims.

"Aubrey’s mother, Paulette Brown, has been a tireless advocate for her son and the families of other murder victims," the SFPD says in a statement this week. "In partnership with the SFPD’s Homicide Detail and Crime Strategies Division, Ms. Brown helped spearhead the creation of a digital posterboard of homicide victims reward bulletins to be displayed in our district stations’ lobbies."

Brown tells the Chronicle this week, "I’m turning my grief into action. I have to do that because I can’t sit in a therapist’s office and wait for her to say, ‘OK, Miss Brown, your time is up. I’ll see you next week.’ I can’t do that. I gotta advocate. I gotta move."

Family members, advocates, and police held a commemorative event Thursday in the middle of the intersection at Baker and Grove. Former Supervisor Dean Preston spoke at the event, per the Chronicle, saying, "Every person lost to gun violence in our city and our society is a policy failure, and that means by self-inclusion, every leader here — it is wonderful we are gathered together — but we also know that collectively, we don’t do enough as a city, as a state and as a country. While I lay the collective blame on the leadership at all levels of government, we also are part of that solution."

Previously: SFPD Reexamines Ten-Year-Old Cold Case Murder Of Aubrey Abrakasa, Reveals New Info

A new fish counter, with both a fast-casual restaurant and a fish market component,  has just opened at the Ferry Building from Nopa chef-owner Laurence Jossel.

We first heard last summer that Laurence Jossel, who has owned and operated popualar Divisadero spot Nopa for nearly 20 years (since 2006), was partnering with seafood wholesaler Joe Conte to open a new fish market and counter-service restaurant at the Ferry Building called Nopa Fish.

Now, as Tablehopper reports, Nopa Fish has opened as of Tuesday, in the stall next-door to Village Market in the south hall of the Ferry Building, across from Mariposa Baking Company, in the former San Francisco Fish Company space. Nopa Fish offers a daily selection of fresh, local seafood available by the pound through Conte's company Water2Table, and a menu of crave-worthy seafood-y snacks and sandwiches from Jossel and his team.

The menu includes a chowder made with rainbow trout, shellfish, and corn; some white shrimp arancini with aioli for dipping; and Nopa's signature potato latkes. There's also an open-faced egg-salad sandwich with bay shrimp ($16), a fried rockfish sandwich ($19), a smoked albacore tuna melt ($18), and Moroccan-spiced fish & chips available ($24), as well as a bowl of "pristine" raw fish over sushi rice ($25) with market greens, avocado, and a jammy sous-vide egg.

There are also a couple of wines by the glass and a canned beer and wine available from a refrigerator case as well.

Tablehopper notes that Jossel worked with Ferry Building neighbor Acme Bread to have some Japanese milk bread made for the rockfish and egg-salad sandos, and the tuna melt is being made with Acme sourdough, served Reuben-style with Russian dressing and sauerkraut.

Nopa Fish is in soft-opening mode this week, open through Friday from 11 am to 7 pm. They'll reopen Monday, June 16 and have an official opening on Tuesday, June 17, with hours extending to Saturday starting next week.

Related: Gott's Opens New Cookie Counter at Ferry Building

Photo via trufflefrites/Instagram

A long-delayed project to add a protected bike lane and improve pedestrian safety along the south side of the Panhandle on SF's Oak Street looks to be moving forward, with a final vote at the SFMTA board meeting Tuesday.

The North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) has been pushing for street improvements on Oak Street, to mirror those previously made on Fell Street, for a decade now. And, as the Chronicle reports, the SFMTA has settled on a final design for a "quick build" project on Oak Street, some opposition in the neighborhood has quieted down, and the the SFMTA board will take a final vote to approve $1.3 million to execute the plans at its April 1 meeting.

Much like the Valencia Street bike lane project which has been a source of unending controversy for several years now, the Oak Street Quick-Build project will remove 23 parking spaces along the north side of Oak Street in order to create a protected bike lane between Stanyan and Baker streets. A parking lane will still exist in the new design, between the bike lane and the traffic lanes, and the number of traffic lanes will be reduced from four to three. And all the parking spots on Oak between Ashbury and Masonic will need to be removed in order to create two left-turn lanes at Masonic.

Advocates from the neighborhood have complained for years about too many cyclists using the shared path through the Panhandle Park — particularly those traveling east, because those traveling west have the option to use the Fell Street bike lane. The shared path has become crowded with pedestrians and cyclists swerving around them in recent years, prompting calls to give cyclists a faster lane on the Oak Street side as an alternative.

Perhaps the most dangerous part of Oak Street for pedestrians and cyclists is the busy intersection of Oak and Masonic, and this stretch of Masonic has long been known to city officials as a "high-injury corridor." Before this project was delayed, in January 2020, a 54-year-old woman was standing on the sidewalk at this intersection when she was struck and injured by a vehicle that had been rear-ended by another vehicle.

As a first phase of the project, which would likely be done by summer, new crossing signals will be installed at Masonic Avenue for both pedestrians and cyclists, so that they can cross safely before left-turning traffic begins from Oak.

The bike lane will be protected by flex posts, like the one already installed on Fell Street, along the north side of the Panhandle. As the SFMTA has noted, collisions on Fell Street involving cars, cyclists and pedestrians have gone down 38% since that lane came into being five years ago, compared to the previous five years. Collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians hit by cars have gone up 2% on Oak Street during the same period.

NOPNA refers back to a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred in October 2018, which killed LGBTQ advocate Norman Tanner, saying that these changes are long overdue.

Thr group's secretary, Robin Kutner, tells the Chronicle, "The longer we delay this project, the more likely that is to happen again."

One of the vocal opponents of the project, the exclusive Urban School, which sits on Oak Street and recently built a new gymnasium there, had complained about the loss of parking in a neighborhood where street parking is already scarce. But the school has since backed down, and they tell the Chronicle they voiced their concern, but won't be speaking against the project at the SFMTA board meeting next week.

Controversy about this project, of which there is still likely to be some, mirrors fights we've seen over the elimination of cars on nearby JFK Drive and on the Great Highway in the Outer Sunset. But unlike the Valencia Street center bike-lane experiment, which the SFMTA has had to remove, the Fell Street bike lane has not sparked much complaint at all since it was installed five years ago.

Top image via the SFMTA

It's a third pivot for the space downstairs from Che Fico, where Che Fico Alimentari will be calling it quits on May 9 to make way for a more high-volume to-go operation and more private dining space.

Che Fico Alimentari was itself a pivot from the initial concept that occupied the space at 834 Divisadero in 2018, called Theorita. The team announced in mid-2019 that the casual, sit-down Alimentari would be opening, with a small retail market for pantry items, grab-and-go lasagna and other dishes, and a limited sit-down menu of pasta and pizza for casual dining.

Chef-owner David Nayfeld writes in an Instagram post, "Che Fico Alimentari was our most dynamic venue pre-pandemic: spry, vibrant, and thrilling to launch." But, he says, the economics of it have changed. And, as he tells the Chronicle, "Che Fico Alimentari in 2019 did great. In 2024, it doesn’t work. Each year more and more and more business models are becoming extinct."

Whether it was the business model, or people's spending habits, or just the fact that the restaurant had hit the five-year mark and had competition from newer restaurants, the owners have decided to pivot to Che Fico To-Go, unifying the upstairs restaurant with the downstairs space.

Che Fico To-Go will offer a limited takeout menu based on the upstairs offerings, focusing on popular items like pizza, chopped salad, and tiramisu.

Most nights, Che Fico has been too busy to offer anything to go, and Nayfeld says that was starting to become an issue.

"There was a huge demand for it, and then the folks who wanted to order something and realized it wasn’t available were disappointed," he told SFGate. "We realized we were hurting ourselves more."

Utilizing the downstairs space will also offer the team more flexibility when it comes to private dining and hosting larger parties. And Nayfeld tells the Chronicle that he plans to host small, exclusive chef's-counter dinners in the space as well. The Che Fico liquor license will also extend downstairs, allowing for cocktails to be sold.

The closing announcement comes as Che Fico prepares to open a full-time pizzeria at Chase Center (in Thrive City), as well as a second full-service restaurant in SF that will not be Che Fico-branded, sometime next year, in the Mission Rock development. They also recently debuted a second Che Fico in Menlo Park, alongside a splashy deli and retail market.

While the Che Fico restaurant group remains in expansion mode, it's clear that not all things are sunny in the business, even for them. Responding to diner pushback over the last two years, Che Fico announced the end of their 10% "dining in" surcharge last month, and they had also lowered prices at the Alimentari.

"It’s clear the restaurant industry is challenged right now," Nayfeld tells SFGate. “It’s really tough, and it’s not mismanagement. You have restaurant groups all over the country who are recognizing the fact that consumer spending is lower. People are feeling the effects of the economy. They’re spending and going out less."

An opening date for Che Fico To-Go has not been announced.

Previously: Che Fico Has Done Away With 10% 'Dine-In' Surcharge, But Will Add 5% Charge

Another pop-up-turned-brick-and-mortar business is taking over the space that formerly housed Automat in the NoPa neighborhood, and it comes from a former chef at Spruce and Quince.

Early to Rise was a pop-up long before the pandemic began, first launching in 2016. Chef Andrew McCormack cultivated a brunch experience centered on fun and 100% homemade ingredients and baked goods.

"Depending on when you might've joined us, you either saw ETR as an elaborate, bacchanalian, gloves-off family-style brunch party (pre-pandemic) or a counter-service destination for handmade bagels, donuts and rotating specials during the pandemic," McCormack writes on the Early to Rise website.

Then, last summer, when the Automat space opened up — fresh from a new buildout and a restaurant that barely lasted there two years — McCormack snapped it up. And now, Early to Rise will be serving breakfast and brunch there starting on February 29, following a brief remodel. Tablehopper was the first to report on the move back in September, but we now have a definitive opening date.

The remodel includes a new dining counter where the former ordering counter and bakery case was.

As Eater reports, there will be housemade bagels, English muffins, challah for French toast, and more — and everything from the hot sauce to the butter will again be made in-house. Expect doughnuts as well, and McCormack's cannoli.

McCormack has also purchased a 900-pound smoker that will be put to work smoking bacon.

For drinks, there will be local beers and wine, as well as a Bloody Mary and a Greyhound (presumably soju-based?).

Following the February 29 launch, breakfast and brunch will be dine-in only for at least two weeks, Eater says, but then the place will start rolling with picnic-style to-go boxes, perfect for toting to the Panhandle, Alamo Square Park, or into Golden Gate Park.

Meanwhile, Automat has gone back to being a pop-up, and was making appearances in the Outer Sunset this month.

Early to Rise - 1801 McAllister Street at Baker - Opening February 29

Rendering via ROY Hospitality

Around one hundred San Francisco firefighters were on the scene of a residential fire in the Western Addition/NoPa neighborhood Monday morning, and one person was hospitalized with injuries after jumping from the burning building.

The fire broke out in a Victorian just before 3:25 a.m. on the 700 block of Masonic Avenue, between Grove and Hayes streets. A third alarm would ultimately be called as the fire spread to multiple neighboring buildings.

One person had to be rescued from the blaze and two were hospitalized.

As ABC 7 reports, one of those people hospitalized had been in a neighboring building to the fire and jumped out of the building.  The woman who jumped suffered "moderate" injuries, as KPIX reported, and the other hospitalized victim suffered minor injuries.

A partial building collapse occurred, with both a floor and the roof reportedly partially collapsing.

A total of seven people have been displaced by the fire, per ABC 7 — two in the building where the fire began, and five in the building next door.

SFFD Lt. Mariano Elias further told KPIX that a third person on the scene was taken for psychiatric evaluation after they "wandered past caution tape into the scene and tried to climb a ladder truck."

Arson investigators were reportedly on the scene, and looking in to where the fire originated. The origin point initially appeared to be on the building's first floor, where construction on accessory dwelling unit (ADU) had been ongoing.

Multiple buildings were evacuated along the street Monday morning out of caution, but all residents in those buildings have returned to their homes, except for those in the two damaged buildings and a third adjacent building as well.

Monday's fire followed another residential blaze Sunday morning in the Inner Sunset.

A Lyon Street house that made for a very depressing segment on A&E’s Hoarders just sold for $1.2 million ($500,000 over its asking price), even though it still very much looked and smelled like a house that had been featured on Hoarders.

The trainwreck A&E reality show Hoarders has been around (on and off) since 2009, and has visited San Francisco for a few segments. One SF segment from 2020, seen below, was frankly quite sad, and the events at the household since are even sadder. Those events led to the house being placed on the market, and in decrepit condition at that. But in a very San Francisco ending, real estate site The Real Deal reports that the “duplex featured on an episode of the A&E series Hoarders recently received 12 offers and sold for $500,000 over the asking price.”

The Hoarders segment from 2020 is seen above. Two brothers living at 758 Lyon Street had accumulated so much trash they actually had to climb over giant piles of it to even get around their house. A house fire had broken out, caused by a refrigerator that one brother Ray Silmon had picked up on the street. The San Francisco Housing Authority has ordered the brothers to clean it up, but while they’re in the process of doing so with the reality TV team, Ray’s brother and housemate dies. Should A&E have kept shooting this episode? Either way, they did, and they aired it.

But the house-emptying did not get finished, and it seems Silmon just started hoarding again, filling the place back up with more junk. Ray Silmon has since died, and the probate courts and city attorney “demanded immediate action” because the place was a massive safety hazard, which eventually landed the home in the hands of Proof Real Estate listing agent Craig Ackerman.

Above we see what Ackerman had on his hands. “The haul included 'decomposing animals,' and the crew had to contend with a collapsing rear porch, a roof with a four-foot-by-four-foot hole, 'unworkable plumbing' and an 'overwhelming odor,'" per the Real Deal.

Did that scare off buyers? Not in this town!

"After the cleanout, Ackerman held four back-to-back open houses just before the Christmas holiday," the site reports. "He received 12 offers and the winning bid on 756-758 Lyon Street was all cash at $1.2 million, or 70 percent over the $700,000 ask.”

Someone's got a serious fixer-upper/effortful flip on their hands! And it's not the worst hoarding we've heard of. That would be a 2015 case of a house in the Richmond District, where a mummified human body was found in the cleanup.

Related: Dozens of Abused Chihuahuas Rescued From ‘Filthy’ Home in Livermore Cleaned Up, Ready to Be Adopted [SFist]

Images: Proof Real Estate

The news copters were out and traffic was being diverted around busy Divisadero Street in San Francisco's NoPa neighborhood due to a two-alarm apartment fire on McAllister Street.

According to a tweet from the SF Fire Department, the fire is at 1604 McAllister Street, which is the same building that houses Oasis Cafe, the Ethiopian restaurant at 901 Divisadero, and Kava Lounge.

Smoke from the fire could be seen and smelled through multiple parts of the city.

Video from the Citizen app showed flames coming from a second-story window on McAllister Street, in the portion of the building furthest from the restaurant's frontage on Divisadero. But the video also showed smoke billowing from a third-story window over Divisadero, above the restaurant.

Update: The flames spread to the upper story and the roof of the building, as seen below. The SFFD says no injuries have been reported, but a third alarm has been called and 100 firefighters were reportedly battling the blaze.

Apartment Fire Near Restaurant @CitizenApp

1604 McAllister St 12:10:37 PM PDT

Three-Alarm Apartment Fire @CitizenApp

1604 McAllister St 12:10:37 PM PDT

It appeared that traffic was stopped in both directions on Divisadero, with the SFPD assisting in directing and diverting traffic.

Update 2: The fire appeared under control as of 2 p.m., and the SFFD confirmed that there was "no exposure" to other buildings next door.

A total of 13 residents have reportedly been displaced, and the fire impacted two businesses, including Oasis Cafe and Kava Lounge. One rescue took place, and one person suffered reportedly minor injuries. SFFD Public Information Officer Jonathan Baxter also said that two firefighters suffered minor injuries.

Images via Citizen

A bicyclist is in rough shape after getting into a crash near the Panhandle of Golden Gate Park Thursday afternoon.

The San Francisco Police Department says the 34-year-old man was riding in the NoPa neighborhood the a little after 4:00 p.m. Thursday when the accident occurred.

The cyclist was reportedly on Hayes Street near the intersection with Broderick Street and hit an object in the road. As Bay City News reports, the cyclist was then thrown over his handlebars and injured.

The man was taken to the hospital after the crash, and police were not able to specify anything more about his condition, though they said at the time of the crash that his injuries were life-threatening.

There has been a recent push for street safety, particularly along the Panhandle on Fell Street, which has a bike lane on the left side and two lanes of constant traffic headed west.

Hayes Street, where Thursday's crash occurred, also has road markings designating that bikers may be share the lanes, but does not have a lane specifically cut out for bicyclists.

A representative of SFPD told SFist, "I do not yet have any additional  details on the incident of the victims condition as the incident is still under investigation."

Photo: Andrew Gook on Unsplash

15-year-old Nopa, the beloved Divisadero restaurant that in many ways kicked off a new (and gentrified) era for the corridor when it debuted in 2006, survived the pandemic by slinging takeout pork chops and burgers.

Nopa has only been open for full service in its outdoor parklet on Hayes for about two months, and the 10 tables inside have only been available for a few weeks. But a number of things have changed at the restaurant since last March, not the least of which is the addition of fried chicken to the menu — which chef Laurence Jossel says is now quickly gaining on the burger as the bestselling menu item.

Jossel opens up in a new interview with his friend, Chronicle writer Rachel Levin, who's also a regular at Nopa, talking about how his marriage to Nopa cofounder Allyson Jossel broke up five years ago. And when the pandemic hit and the restaurant was forced to close its doors, he says that Allyson and business partner Jeff Hanak both said "We’re out," and wanted to throw in the towel on the business altogether.

Hanak and Allyson Jossel (it's unclear if she is back to going by her maiden name of Woodman) have gone on to open other restaurants, Liholiho Yacht Club and Nopalito, which they remain partners in, and Hanak is also a partner in Dear Inga (whose space is now being temporarily used to house Liholiho).

But Laurence Jossel says he was insistent in early days of the pandemic that they had to keep going, somehow, for the sake of employees who wouldn't be able to get government assistance, and for the sake of the neighborhood. His thought was, "We need to show the neighborhood we have smoke coming out of the chimney," he tells the Chronicle.

Fast-forward some months, and after some negotiations, Jossel is now the sole owner of Nopa as it turns 15, which he says, "feels magnificent."

As he tells the Chronicle, "I’ve never been the sole owner of anything. I’m a chef. It remains to be seen if I can be a businessperson. I’ve got 10 jobs now. I’m cleaning bathrooms. But after 37 years working in San Francisco restaurants, for the first time, I’m beholden to no one."

Pretty soon, fans of Nopa will be able to belly up to the bar for a cocktail again, or roll in at midnight for a burger and a beer. Part of Nopa's fanbase over the years were service-industry folks who headed over there after their shifts — it being one of the only decent restaurants in the city that served until 1 a.m.

The bustling, two-story space in a former bank that became a coin-op laundromat before it became Nopa isn't quite so bustling right now. But it's bound to be pretty soon — and reservations at those outdoor tables are already tough to get.

As with all restaurants that have these new outdoor spaces, time will tell how long Nopa keeps it once they're back to 100% capacity inside. But it took a lot of work getting that bus stop moved, as Jossel explains — so maybe it'll stick around for a while.

Photo: Nopa/Instagram

A teenage boy had a rough ride on Muni Friday, when a group of fellow teens demanded his shoes at gun and knifepoint.

Police say the crime went down at 9:40 p.m. Friday near the intersection of Central Avenue and Hayes Street. According to the San Francisco Police Department, the 15-year-old male victim had just gotten off Muni at that intersection when he was surrounded by three male teens, all aged around 15 years old.

One of the suspects, police say, "brandished a handgun in his waistband." Another suspect "brandished a knife and told [the victim] to give them his shoes."

The victim removed his shoes and handed them over. The suspect with the knife then pulled the victim's cellphone from his pocket. The trio of miscreants ran north on Central, according to the SFPD, and haven't been seen since. As of Tuesday morning, police say that no arrests have been made, and the suspects remain at large.

Related: Alleged Gunpoint Mugger Of Bus Passengers Just Couldn't Quit Muni

Say it ain't so, Nopa! The acclaimed Divisadero restaurant whose late night service, heretofore until 1 a.m., has been a staple among industry insiders and bourgeoisie burger lovers, is changing it up, cutting back on late night hours according to Inside Scoop.

"It wasn’t an easy decision,” partner Jeff Hanak told the food blog.“We’re just trying to look at the health of the staff and the longevity, just looking at the sustainability of it, making sure staff is not leaving at 3:30 or 4 in the morning.”

The shift, however, is minor: Last call for drinks and food will be 12 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday, and 1 a.m. last call will remain for Friday and Saturday evenings. Yet diehard fans know that everything tastes better after the stroke of midnight: Greet this news in proportion to your position on that.

Fortunately, nearby Horsefeather is picking up a bit of the slack. That bar's kitchen, on the same Divisadero block, is open till 1 a.m. Phew. I mean, even Jay's Cheesesteak across the street on Divis has closed, though I can't say eating there after a night of drinking was ever the wisest choice.

Related: The Best Post-Midnight, Late-Night Eats In San Francisco

Where a location of Herbivore once sat on Divis, now spit-fired meats reign at Souvla, the second location of the supes pops casual (but organically priced) Greek souvlaki spot. Doors appear to have opened Friday, according to Eater, and no doubt many of you have already been.

We learned of the offshoot from owner Charles Bililies, who actually describes the niche as "fine casual," in December. Eater is calling the place a "clone," because clearly what's working in Hayes Valley will also work on Divis(alencia).

"My goal at the end of the day is consistency," says Ben Pote, who joins Souvla from a restaurant consulting team and will be in charge of brand expansion. Are we to expect more locations and consistency in the future, then? Time will tell, but let's hope that frozen greek yogurt is as creamy and delicious across the board.

One discrepancy between Souvla's locations worth noting? Souvla 'NoPa' has a backyard! A bi-level patio is now open for diners and, if you'd like, private rentals.

A photo posted by Souvla (@souvlasf) on Jun 3, 2016 at 10:12am PDT

A photo posted by Souvla (@souvlasf) on May 17, 2016 at 3:38pm PDT

Soulva - 531 Divisadero Street between Fell and Hayes Streets, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day

Previously: Souvla Coming To Divisadero

Valencia Street probably already hit "peak restaurant" last year, and if you believe chef and restaurateur Dennis Leary (The Sentinel, Golden West, House of Shields), so did the rest of the city. San Francisco Magazine has a long-read in their new issue in which they speak to a bevy of local players in the restaurant scene, including Leary, Marlowe/Park Tavern owner Anna Weinberg, and restaurant empire building Adriano Paganini (Beretta, Lolinda, Belga, Delarosa, Super Duper, etc.) who all say many of the same things that restaurateurs have been saying about San Francisco for years now. Basically, it's a nearly impossible place to do business, rents are going through the roof, it's impossible to hire good staff these days because no one can afford to live here, and yes your chicken entrée does have to cost $40 for all of the above reasons. Also, God help anyone who's trying to open anything this year, but also, best of luck.

Below, a few choice pull quotes.

On making sure your concept works: "Anyone who opens a restaurant needs to create a concept that is really ‘on’ in some way and isn’t marginal. Because marginal isn’t working anymore... You need to make damn sure that you’re going to be very busy at all times. Otherwise, don’t even do it."
- Adriano Paganini

On keeping prices low: "It’s about being creative. You figure out how to use ingredients that don’t cost as much but taste good. The advantage restaurants have right now is that people are willing to try anything."
- Ryan Cole, one of the owners of Hi Neighbor Hospitality, which opened the $35 prix-fixe spot Trestle to instant success last year.

On having to raise prices eventually: "There’s only so much you can cut before you raise prices. There’s no hidden thing, like, oh, we shouldn’t get garbage picked up anymore. You have to raise prices."
- Laurence Jossel, chef-owner at Nopa

Regarding the city's healthcare mandate, and that earlier scandal in which the City Attorney's Office went after restaurants that were pocketing leftover flexible spending account money at the end of the year: "So here’s the problem. I’m paying $850,000 a year to insure Tacolicious employees. I promise you that not $100,000 of that money will be used. My average employee is 26 years old and drinks enough on a nightly basis to kill any bacteria in their system... The city went on a witch hunt, basically because the government wanted money."
- Joe Hargrave, owner of Tacolicious

On the complications surrounding minimum wage mandates, and wage discrepancies: "It’s not that paying the dishwasher $19 is going to bankrupt you. It’s if you pay him $19, what are you going to pay the sous chef? That’s the part that people forget about."
- Andrew Hoffman, co-owner of Comal and The Advocate in Berkeley, where the city council has discussed raising the minimum wage to $19

Regarding how hard it is to hold on to staff right now: "I’ve had three hostesses stolen; they’re being paid $85,000 a year to be receptionists at tech companies that shall go unnamed. And by the way, I can’t tell them not to do it — the lifestyle is so much better.”
-Anna Weinberg of Big Night Restaurant Group (Marlowe, Park Tavern, The Cavalier, Leo's Oyster Bar)

Regarding fast-casual concepts and the rise of delivery apps: "If we have a team of cooks prepping an order for 100, they can serve them with less labor hours than three employees at the register can serve 100 people. It’s not glamorous, but it’s an adjustment. If you’re a restaurateur today and not using the hundreds of apps available to you, then, for many reasons, you’re behind."
- Matt Semmelhack, co-owner of AQ and Bon Marché, and the upcoming fast-casual FiDi pita bar, Sababa.

On how East Coast restaurateurs are all suddenly clamoring to expand here: "From the national-press standpoint, San Francisco looks like the gold rush again. People want to get in. But I don’t think they’ve done the due diligence for how expensive it is to operate in a city like this."
- Dennis Leary

More on why your dinners are just going to keep getting more expensive: "[Customers are] going to have to stop asking us to subsidize their lifestyle. You’re going to have to pay double for your steak if you want to live in this fabulous city. I can’t absorb it anymore."
- Anna Weinberg

On still being hopeful that you can make it as a first-time restaurateur: "The fact that I’m opening a tasting menu-style restaurant with no tipping scares the hell out of me. Not because I don’t think we’ll be amazing, but will I be able to fill my restaurant every night, or will someone bill me as a special-occasion place? Should I just open a burger-and-pizza joint and have roast chicken on the menu?... [But] I want to experience owning my own restaurant in San Francisco. For me, the struggle’s worth it."
- Kim Alter, former Haven and Plum chef, who's set to open her first SF restaurant Nightbird in Hayes Valley any month now

Related: How Many San Franciscans Are Rooting For The Tech Economy To Tank?