PlumpJack Pulls Out of Luna Park Acquisition; Restaurant Remains Open

Longtime Valencia fixture Luna Park may not be disappearing so quickly after all. Though the restaurant announced back in October that it would shutter by the end of 2014, it's still going strong, in part because the plan to acquire it didn't go through. As rumored, but not officially confirmed at the time, the PlumpJack Group, owned by Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom and his sister Hilary, was planning to take over Luna Park and turn it into a bar. But Hilary Newsom now says that the acquisition won't be going through. "The PlumpJack Group decided not to pursue the acquisition of Luna Park, as the deal became too problematic," she says.

It's unclear what the PlumpJack pullout means for the future of Luna Park; we reached out to the restaurant for comment yesterday, but calls weren't returned. Back in October, owner AJ Gilbert told Uptown Almanac that he wanted out of the restaurant business, saying that the minimum-wage increase posed a major issue for Luna Park, and "waiters do not need to be making $15 an hour." Presumably, he's still trying to find a buyer, but for the time being, Luna Park appears to be continuing on its regular trajectory. (Its twin sister in L.A. is still going strong, but has been under new ownership since 2013.)

Meanwhile, PlumpJack (which is behind Balboa Cafe, MatrixFillmore, and a number or projects around the Bay Area) has already added a new acquisition to its portfolio: back in December, they picked up SOMA nightclub Sloane, with still-developing plans to turn it into either a bar or club. And while they may not be taking over Luna Park, PlumpJack still has its eyes on the Mission, according to Hilary Newsom: "This has no effect on our enthusiasm for the neighborhood, and we continue to look for other projects in the area."