Mid-Market’s Bon Marché Now Up for Sale

The Mid-Market neighborhood has been the subject of much speculation in the past few months, as two of its larger players —Cadence and Oro— have closed their doors. Now Bon Marché, the upscale Parisian-inspired restaurant and brewery from Mercer Restaurant Group (AQ, Fénix) has been listed for sale.

The listing does not include a price for the 7,200-square-foot space, which includes brewery equipment and a type 75 (brew pub) liquor license. According to co-owner Matt Semmelhack, the partners are still working out the best way to proceed— while the restaurant is for sale as a turnkey restaurant, the group is also open to some kind of partnership or alternative concept that they are still involved in. That could even include splitting up the space, and operating on a smaller scale. "We (and me personally) really want to see the neighborhood thrive and have a big stake in that," said Semmelhack via email. "So, we are dedicated to making sure something good happens in the space, whether it's us or a new operator."

The cavernous space (which won an the title of "Stone Cold Stunner" in 2015’s Eater Awards), includes a cafe, raw bar, wine bar, brewery, flower shop and coffee kiosk within its walls at the bottom of the Twitter building. Semmelhack says it was just too big of a space for the economics of restaurants in San Francisco’s current climate. That climate, the subject of much discussion, is influenced by a saturation of restaurants, rising minimum wage, and staffing issues. In Mid-Market, it also means a gritty strip of Market with lower than projected foot traffic, tech workers who are fed every meal by private chefs in their offices, and a sleepy nightlife.

The restaurant is currently operating as usual. Stay tuned for more.