The Bay Area’s Extreme Heat Is Causing Some Restaurants and Food Trucks to Close

As most of us are already extremely aware, the Bay Area is in the midst of an excessive and record-breaking heat wave that’s forcing restaurant and food truck closures in the name of safety — or due to power outages. Food truck owners such as Uzziel Rojas of Concord’s Los Originales detailed to SFGATE that cooking inside the truck can be up to 15 degrees hotter than outside and that he considered the heat a safety issue for staff. He shut down operations during the heat wave, but he’s not the only one: Range Life in Livermore was forced to shut down due to a power outage Monday night and Strike Brewing Co. closed its taproom on Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Thankfully, we may be in for a “break” from the highest temperatures we’ve received over the last few days, according to SFGATE; the temperatures will begin their downward climb Wednesday, with a slight bump back up on Thursday, before the temperatures “begin to drop for several days beginning Friday.” Still, this is a good reminder to check ahead at any restaurants and bars you’re hoping to visit this evening and tomorrow, just to avoid any surprises.

The ups and downs of running a restaurant business from home

Nancy Chang of Purpose & Hope penned a piece for Berkeleyside detailing how her business operates under Alameda County’s Micro Enterprise Home Kitchen Operations permits. Chang writes about some of the drawbacks of running a food business from home (the $50,000 earning limit, for instance), as well as the better parts that keep her going. Plenty of good food for thought if you’re considering launching your own part-time restaurant from home in Alameda County.

So, you say you want to own a chicken shop?

Bay Area-based Starbird chicken has expanded relatively quickly — raising $12 million in capital certainly helps — and now the fast-casual chain is looking to grow its reach even further. The company announced its new national franchise program this week, so if you’ve always wanted to get in on slanging chicken sandwiches, tendies, and more, here’s your chance.

Celebrate the mid-autumn festival at Viridian's new pop-up

Oakland’s Viridian is getting into the mid-autumn festival spirit with its new pop-up, Full Moon, launching September 7. The cocktail bar is launching both a new food and drink menu promising to be an “inventive pop-up twist on all your Harvest Moon favorites.” The pop-up will run until September 30 and no tickets are required, it’s first come, first served. For more details, head to viridianbar.com/aboutfullmoon.