At Fillmore and Clay, the Clay Theater shares a structure with the corner storefront at 2259 Fillmore, which was last occupied by Alice + Olivia. The theater screened films for more than 110 years before it closed in 2020. A few doors south, the former Starbucks at 2222 Fillmore and the former Ten-Ichi at 2235 sit on the same short run of the street. La Méditerranée is at 2210, where it has served the block since 1979.
Investor Neil Mehta's Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project owns all of these addresses. In August it bought another building at 2035-2047 Fillmore, according to The San Francisco Standard. Because one owner holds so much of the stretch between Pine and Clay, it can recruit the next restaurants one at a time. The street's calendar now depends on construction and city review more than on whoever signs the next lease.
The Owner Recruits the Tenant
Most commercial corridors fill when an operator spots an empty space and calls the broker. Cody Allen, the project's executive director, described a different approach when the San Francisco Chronicle reported in October that Bar Oliver was coming to 2259 Fillmore. Allen said the team chose Bar Oliver for the space after he visited the restaurant on a trip to New York. He wrote to the paper:
"We prefer to seek out specific tenants for our spaces, or operators we believe will bring a unique approach to a concept or business type that we feel the neighborhood needs."
According to the Standard, the group has spent tens of millions of dollars from a $100 million fund to buy seven properties besides 2035-2047 Fillmore, including the Clay Theater. Fillmore Merchants Association president Tim Omi told the paper the project has kept its commitment not to bring in chain stores. Three tenants have left buildings the group acquired: Starbucks, Alice + Olivia and Ten-Ichi. Each departure has opened a space for a chef-led restaurant.
Pine to Clay, Address by Address
This is where each project stood in the most recent public reporting, along with the date of that report.
| Address | Previous tenant | Incoming | Operator | Latest public word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Fillmore, at Pine | Noosh | Monami, Korean barbecue steakhouse | Junsoo and Hyunyoung Bae of Ssal | Owners aiming for a fall 2026 opening (August 2026) |
| 2035-2047 Fillmore | Aquatalia, A-Pizza, Mio | Storefronts combined into one restaurant | Bought by the project for about $8.6 million | In the city's landmark designation process (August 2026) |
| 2210 Fillmore | Same tenant | La Méditerranée | Vanick Der Bedrossian | New 10-year extension, running to 2038 (October 2026) |
| 2222 Fillmore | Starbucks | Khao Soi Shop, working title Khao Soi Ya | Pim Techamuanvivit of Kin Khao and Nari | Name and menu still taking shape (August 2026) |
| 2235 Fillmore | Ten-Ichi | Good Morning 96 | Gizela Ho, formerly of Rich Table | Expected to open in 2027 (October 2026) |
| 2259 Fillmore | Alice + Olivia | Bar Oliver | Aisa Shelley and partners | Early planning (October 2026) |
| 2261 Fillmore | Clay Theater | Restored cinema | Ted Gerike, director | Completion targeted for early 2027 (April 2026) |
Only one of these operators is starting from scratch. Bar Oliver, the Khao Soi Shop and Monami all come from teams with established restaurants elsewhere. Gizela Ho is opening her own restaurant for the first time, but she cooked at Rich Table for more than a decade first. The project chose established operators, and the work inside its buildings, from a roof replacement to a new mezzanine, sets their opening dates.
Why the Calendar Belongs to the Buildings
Each of these projects is substantial construction, and each comes with its own source of delay.
Monami needs a new roof. The ground floor at 2001 Fillmore has been empty since Noosh closed, soon after the 2024 purchase. Before Noosh, the corner was home to Pacific Heights Bar & Grill and then Thai Stick. In April, The New Fillmore reported that the property manager had told the building's second-floor office tenants they would need to move out by the end of May. The letter said the work would include the second floor and a full roof replacement, with major construction "expected to continue through at least early November, and possibly into 2027." According to that report, chef-owner Junsoo Bae told the Chronicle, "I want it to be a Korean barbecue version of House of Prime Rib."
Good Morning 96 is adding a floor inside. The Standard reported that the narrow former Ten-Ichi space will get a fairly extensive renovation, including a mezzanine for private dining and a kitchen moved out of the back so diners can see it. Ho named the 2000 film "In the Mood for Love" as a design influence. She is planning a salted duck egg soufflé for the opening menu.
2035-2047 Fillmore is in landmark review. The storefronts in this Mediterranean revival building started emptying in 2022. The Standard reported that the vacant spaces will be combined into a single restaurant, though changes "may be difficult" because the building is going through historic landmark designation. Omi was glad to see the purchase. "The space has been sitting empty, and it will be amazing to have it start to get worked on," he told the paper.
The Clay is a restoration. According to The New Fillmore, the Historic Preservation Commission unanimously endorsed the restoration plan on April 1. At that hearing, Allen said he hoped the work would be finished "in early '27." The plan moves the auditorium's historic proscenium arch behind a larger screen, where it will still be visible from a new green room for live events. The theater will also get an all-day lobby café and a cinema bookstore. The project's own announcement calls for more than 500 screenings a year, including independent and repertory films and 35mm presentations, under director Ted Gerike.
Bar Oliver is next door, and its plans add more construction to the block. The Chronicle reported that the San Francisco location will mostly follow the Lower Manhattan original, which is known for pintxos and vermouth on tap and serves from morning coffee through dinner. The San Francisco version will add a full bar and an open hearth for grilling whole fish and steaks.
The Lease That Runs to 2038
The project's largest commitment so far has gone to the oldest tenant on the block. When the group bought the 2200 block buildings in 2024, La Méditerranée got a three-year lease extension, with the understanding that major work on the building would follow. The New Fillmore reported in October that owner Vanick Der Bedrossian had since signed another 10 years on top of that, which keeps the restaurant at 2210 Fillmore until 2038. His father, Levon, opened it in 1979.
"Let's keep it going," Der Bedrossian told the paper. He said Allen offered "a manageable set of terms." Describing how the relationship with the new owners changed over time, he said, "There was a mutual softening." Der Bedrossian also cited the 20 people the restaurant employs as a reason to stay.
The extension matters to the rest of the block too. La Med will still be there when every space in the table above has opened, and its lease is the clearest sign yet of how the project plans to deal with the tenants it inherited.
South of Pine, Operators Find Their Own Rooms
A few blocks south, businesses are filling storefronts at a faster pace.
Restaurateur Kevin Chen already runs Don Don, Ninniku and Nono Baru nearby, and according to The New Fillmore, he "keeps renting more neighborhood storefronts." His newest is Yuzu, on Sutter near Fillmore. By day it is a takeout counter and grocery. In the evening, behind a refrigerator door, it serves a 12-course omakase for $65 at a 10-seat counter. He has also started Avocado Green, a tea and coffee shop in the windows of the Nono Baru space at 1800 Fillmore.
The same report said the former Pride of the Mediterranean space at Fillmore and Sutter will become Matdol Tofu, a handmade-tofu restaurant from Jiman Jang. Jang's team also runs Jevikal, a gimbap food truck in San Jose. He tied the location to local history: the Gongnip Association, which helped Koreans newly arrived in America, moved its headquarters to 1944 Buchanan Street in 1908. In September, the team was aiming to open in December or January.
Each of these operators is reusing a former restaurant or retail space, and none of the reports describes a roof replacement or a landmark hearing.
Where to Spend an Evening on Fillmore This Month
Several of the places in this story already have counters and tables you can visit:
- La Méditerranée, 2210 Fillmore. The longest-running restaurant on the block, now with a lease through 2038.
- Yuzu, Sutter near Fillmore. Takeout and groceries by day, with the 10-seat omakase counter in the evening.
- Avocado Green, 1800 Fillmore. Matcha lattes and housemade pastries in the Nono Baru windows.
- Walk Pine to Clay. The Monami corner at 2001, the former Starbucks at 2222, the former Ten-Ichi at 2235, and the Clay and Bar Oliver frontages at 2259 and 2261 show the stretch while construction is underway.
Spanish footwear brand Alohas is taking over the former Rocksbox space at 2208 Fillmore, next door to D&M Liquor, so La Med will soon have a new neighbor.
On a street where a single owner can schedule several openings across a few blocks, these timelines affect property values on nearby blocks. If you own nearby and want to know how a restored Clay or a finished Monami corner could change your property's position, Stephen Bartlett can go through the Pine-to-Clay timeline with you. Schedule a Market Consultation.
