The Little Chihuahua Shuts Down Mission Location for Good

Taqueria mini-chain the Little Chihuahua will close its Mission District location on Sunday, August 23

The Little Chihuahua, a California meets Mexico mini-taqueria chain with four locations across SF, will close its eight-year-old Valencia Street restaurant this weekend, a spokesperson tells Eater SF via email.

That location opened in fall of 2012, with owner Andrew Johnstone telling Eater SF that his business was ready to get into the ring with the Mission’s multitude of taquerias, saying then that “Valencia Street is hot right now. We’re excited to be a part of the energy.”

However, “operating there was not sustainable after the pandemic hit,” a company spokesperson tells Eater SF. Unlike the chain’s other locations, the Valencia spot closed completely at the beginning of the pandemic, and didn’t reopen to serve customers until mid-May. That wasn’t enough to keep the business afloat, it appears, as “this Sunday, August 23, after eight years we’re closing the Valencia Street location in the Mission for good,” the restaurant’s spokesperson says. (Hoodline reported on the same statement on Thursday.)

Takeout and delivery remain available for the Little Chihuahua’s other locations on Divisadero, in Noe Valley, and on Polk Street, its spokesperson says, all of which “are thriving and successfully positioned to make it through the pandemic business climate.”

And in other news...

• As of Friday morning, three major fire collections across Northern California have killed five people, consumed 650 square miles, and threatened or destroyed tens of thousands of homes and businesses. [KPIX/AP]
• Areas outside the flames are still at risk, as the Bay Area’s air quality continues to be some of the worst in the world [CNBC]. Officials continue to tell people to remain indoors for their safety, but aren’t taking steps to close activities like outdoor dining down. Area residents seem to be following that advice, as restaurants say they’re seeing far fewer patrons during the Spare the Air days, but few spots expect to shut down for diner or worker safety. [ABC 7]
• San Francisco remains on the state coronavirus watch list, officials announced Thursday, dashing hopes that indoor business could resume in the near future. [KRON 4]
• That new club planned for the old Slim’s space, with the questionable name of “YOLO”? Justin Phillips notes that its owners told city officials that it would have a dress code as “a tool to use to deny unwanted guests.” It’s an admission that Phillips correctly notes is “casual use of dog whistle language hinting at exclusionary practices,” and the officials who approved the bar let it pass without a word, [SF Chronicle]
• Oakland’s LGBTQ bars are doing everything they can to remain afloat as the pandemic continues. [Oaklandside]
• Tom Mills bought longstanding Lower Haight pub Nickies in January, pivoting its menu to foods from the Yucatan Peninsula, and building a dining area that extends into nearby parking spaces. [Hoodline]
• Oakland chef Crystal Wahpepah is the first Native American woman — ever — to own her own California catering business. [Oaklandside]
• 2223 Market Street, a space that’s cycled through a slew of restaurants in recent years and has been vacant since the abrupt closure of Izakaya Sushi Ran in 2019, reportedly has “three different restaurant groups interested in the space,” its landlord claims. [Hoodline]
• San Jose’s historic La Forêt restaurant closed its Almaden Valley doors when the pandemic began, and now it’s reopened for outdoor dining alongside a nearby creek. [East Bay Times]
• Hashiri sushi announced via Instagram that its controversial dining domes are back, but they’re not, not really — now they’re just open-sided tents with a clear top. [SF Chronicle]