Woodward's Garden Is Latest Mission Lease Crunch Victim

The past few months have been really rough for commercial rents in the Mission, with landlords dispatching the likes of Therapy and Clothes Contact with massive rent hikes. Now, the bell has tolled for Woodward's Garden, the fine-dining spot that's held down the freeway-adjacent corridor for 22 years. As Tablehopper reports, the restaurant's lease is up, and the landlord has decided not to renew. But co-owners and chefs Margie Conard and Dana Tommasino are taking this as a positive development; they've been looking for a new space for a long time, and say they're "thrilled at the possibility of a new restaurant/project."

While Conard and Tommasino, who were named Chron Rising Star chefs back in 1994, haven't set an exact closure date for the restaurant, they think it'll likely be in the next month or so. After the shutter, they plan to offer some pop-up dinners, many of which will be partnerships with artists. They're also looking for leads on new spaces, and interested folks are encouraged to send them an e-mail. The timing on the loss of Woodward's is particularly sad because the neighborhood is getting a number of new restaurant projects, including Rintaro, Orenchi Ramen, and the recently opened Plin.

· Woodward's Garden Closing and Leaving Its Current Location [Tablehopper]