raffy
Mar 6, 02, 5:53 pm
It's been a long time coming, but Charles Phan of the highly regarded Slanted Door in the Mission is finally ready to expand. He'll gut his existing restaurant at 584 Valencia St. (near 17th Street) and incorporate the former cleaners next door, upping the seating capacity from 95 to 140.
The construction may take until next February or March, perhaps longer. So, where is a girl gonna get her shaking beef in the meantime? And what about all his employees?
Phan has signed a deal to take over the closed 120-seat LiveFire at 100 Brannan St. on the Embarcadero. The game plan is to close the Valencia location around April 29 and be up and running on the Embarcadero on May 1.
For Phan it was a question of survival -- the choice between moving or going out of business temporarily, all the while spending big bucks to expand. Once he decided to move he couldn't take just any old restaurant space. "I needed, what they call in the business, 'live fire' -- a mesquite grill -- to prepare our food and I needed enough space to install woks," Phan says, explaining that a Vietnamese restaurant combines elements of western and Asian kitchens.
And then there was the staffing issue. "We've been open for six years, and our staff, 11 of whom are family, is one of our most valuable assets," Phan says. "And it was too risky not to have income."
Phan says that at first it seemed like a far-fetched idea to move the restaurant, but the complicated construction, involving removing the roof and possible foundation work as well, made the idea more a practical.
The big question is, will Phan like the Embarcadero so much that he will keep that location as well? He says no. "I only want one Slanted Door."
A couple of years ago, Bill and Chelsea Clinton and a herd of Secret Service people lunched at Slanted Door. Has Phan told Bill about the move? "I would, if I could find him," Phan chuckles.
The construction may take until next February or March, perhaps longer. So, where is a girl gonna get her shaking beef in the meantime? And what about all his employees?
Phan has signed a deal to take over the closed 120-seat LiveFire at 100 Brannan St. on the Embarcadero. The game plan is to close the Valencia location around April 29 and be up and running on the Embarcadero on May 1.
For Phan it was a question of survival -- the choice between moving or going out of business temporarily, all the while spending big bucks to expand. Once he decided to move he couldn't take just any old restaurant space. "I needed, what they call in the business, 'live fire' -- a mesquite grill -- to prepare our food and I needed enough space to install woks," Phan says, explaining that a Vietnamese restaurant combines elements of western and Asian kitchens.
And then there was the staffing issue. "We've been open for six years, and our staff, 11 of whom are family, is one of our most valuable assets," Phan says. "And it was too risky not to have income."
Phan says that at first it seemed like a far-fetched idea to move the restaurant, but the complicated construction, involving removing the roof and possible foundation work as well, made the idea more a practical.
The big question is, will Phan like the Embarcadero so much that he will keep that location as well? He says no. "I only want one Slanted Door."
A couple of years ago, Bill and Chelsea Clinton and a herd of Secret Service people lunched at Slanted Door. Has Phan told Bill about the move? "I would, if I could find him," Phan chuckles.