Hapa Ramen Heads to the Mission; State Bird to Expand Its Dining Room Next Door

You may recall that Richie Nakano's Hapa Ramen has had longstanding plans to open a brick-and-mortar location next door to State Bird Provisions at 1527 Fillmore Street. Well, it turns out that Nakano has thought better of this, and as the Chron reports, he's instead going to open in a larger, 2,400-square-foot-space on Mission Street "in the high teens" (he's not revealing the address until everything is finalized).

The plan for the restaurant remains the same, with a design and vibe mimicking Japanese ramen houses and a menu of signature ramens, starters, and a few other items. The new space is also going to allow for bigger capacity for the ramen-hungry hordes, with about 70 seats including a long dining counter.

The constantly booked, James Beard Award-winning State Bird Provisions, meanwhile, will take over the lease on the next-door space from Nakano to do a much needed expansion of their own. As chef-owner Stuart Brioza says, "It's an opportunity to improve something we've already got." The plan is to add 12 seats in the new space, as well as to add customer amenities like a second bathroom, a heater for the colder months, and a waiting area.

State Bird will thus be closing in mid-August for a couple of weeks to break down the wall and complete the remodel.

The ETA on Hapa Ramen remains up the air, with permits and a full buildout still to be done.

[Photo: CHOW/Chris Rochelle]

· Hapa Ramen's Richie Nakano finds new spot [Chron]
· Sit Down, Everyone: State Bird Provisions Is Expanding in the Lower Fillmore [SF Mag]
· Bowien, State Bird, Kostow Win 2013 James Beard Awards [~ESF~]
· Hapa Ramen Goes Permanent, Gingerfruit Closed Now, More [~ESF~]