NoPa Dining Staple Green Chile Kitchen Is Closing, Citing Delivery Costs

Green Chile Kitchen, a taste of New Mexico in SF, is closing after 14 years in business later this month. The restaurant’s stews, Mary’s rotisserie chickens, and Frito pies will leave 1801 McAllister after Sunday, September 15. Restaurant employees were reportedly informed of the coming closure today, and a representative has posted a farewell to fans on Instagram.

Owner Trevor Logan opened Green Chile kitchen in 2006, showcasing New Mexico’s famous chiles (sourced from the family-owned farm Bueno) in dishes like posole and smothered burritos. The typically bustling restaurant has been a constant presence in NoPa since back when everyone still called it the Western Addition, anchoring a boom in the area’s food businesses.

But today’s business outlook for restaurants is particularly daunting, says Logan. “I really feel grateful for all the good years and the community and my employees, it’s been a wonderful ride,” he says. “But the last few years have been too difficult.”

In particular, Green Chile Kitchen’s rent kept climbing, and delivery business — which has boomed in SF through third-party apps like Uber Eats and Caviar — has taken a big bite out of profits. “I honestly believe the delivery culture is really killing restaurants, and we only have ourselves to blame,” says Logan. “When you take that large of a percentage, it’s way too much.”

These days, delivery accounts for half Green Chile Kitchen’s orders. ”[Our food] is perfect for ordering in, and we set it up this way — but I never imagined it like this,” Logan says.

Logan also worries that some customers don’t consider how much of their check — around 20 percent, he says — goes to the delivery apps, not restaurants themselves. “I told that to some customers who said ‘we only live like three blocks away, we’ll never do [delivery from you] again,” says Logan. Beloved pie company Mission Pie made similar arguments in its decision to close this past weekend.

Green Chile Kitchen’s spinoff pie business, Chile Pies & Ice Cream, has also closed both its SF locations. The one right around the corner from Green Chile Kitchen, on Baker Street, will become a new location of donut legend Bob’s. But bereft Green Chile Kitchen patrons aren’t totally SOL. They can head up to Sonoma, where another Chile Pies location has been doing bumper business in Guerneville. They might even see Logan, who is moving to the area full-time himself.

More adventurous Green Chile Kitchen fans can also make the trek to Oklahoma, where Logan opened Green Chile Kitchen Route 66, a sister spot, in 2012. Or, they can always go to the source – New Mexico.

This story has been updated to include comments from Trevor Logan.