The Big 4 Is Staying Mostly the Same After Renovation

After seemingly embarking on a one-hotel mission to get SF history-lovers verklempt for no good reason, the Huntington Hotel's new owners, Grace International, have made the anticlimactic but welcome announcement that the hotel's iconically old-school restaurant, Big 4, will remain mostly the same after its planned renovation this January. The main changes will be "subtle aesthetic changes to open up the space," including upgrades to the carpet, paint, and upholstery and the removal of linen from the tabletops. Otherwise, it's business as usual: the bar will be maintained to, as Grace puts it, "preserve decades of memories and character," and the historical artifacts and memorabilia will remain.

The Puccini Group, the consultancy responsible for Jasper's Corner Tap and Ducca (now MaSo), will lead design efforts. Inside Scoop also got the word that longtime chef Gloria Ciccarone-Nehls will remain in the kitchen, though there was no comment on whether there will be any changes to the food and drink menus. The Big 4 is scheduled to close on January 1 and reopen with the renovated Huntington sometime in the spring of 2014.

· Big 4 Restaurant Will Return to the Huntington Hotel [Inside Scoop]
· Big 4 Getting Renovation; Is It in Jeopardy? [~ ESF ~]
· Grace International Considers Changing Big 4 [~ ESF ~]