We Be Sushi Closes Original Location, Following Many on Valencia St.
We Be Sushi at 1071 Valencia St., Mission District
After 36 years of slicing, dicing, and serving the Mission District of San Francisco, the original We Be Sushi at 1071 Valencia St at 22nd has closed. Chef Andy Tonozuka told Mission Local the reasons are “mainly the slow business, and another one is I’m 74 now, and I got sciatic nerve pain”.
We Be Sushi had that now rare quality of feeling completely authentic to both the Mission neighborhood AND to Japan simultaneously. It was a working class joint, the sushi is both well-prepared and affordable. Its closure follows a great deal of other small businesses shuttering on the Valencia street corridor, for various reasons.
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Some highlight the pandemic, some business owners are just aging out of the service industry, but many others cite the city’s installation of the now infamous “Valencia St. center bike lane” as a huge problem. Valencia street business owners contend that the street redesign has robbed their costumer base of parking spaces, and their vendors of loading zones, which has led to a drastic reduction in foot traffic and patronage.
This February, businesses on the Valencia corridor filed legal claims against the city over the Valencia St. center bike lane. In the lead was David Quinby, the owner of Amados on Valencia St. A wonderful bar, restaurant, and music venue that had to close in November of 2023.
Here is Amado’s David Quimby speaking on the subject
David Quinby blames @sfgov @SFMTA_Muni’s center bike lane pilot project on Valencia St. for the closure of his live music bar @amadossf in the Mission. He & other businesses have filed legal claims, seeking compensation. @KevinOrtizSF @niallvig also speak out. 5:15,6 p.m. @KTVU pic.twitter.com/v4apAhGrd9
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) February 20, 2024
“SFMTA leadership have been behaving as if the citizens of San Francisco work for them,” Quinby said. “I have lost my business, and dozens of other small-business owners have either already been forced to shut down or on the verge of losing everything.”
Community organizer and co-president of SF Latinx Democratic Club Kevin Ortiz told reporters, “This has been a project that has, for lack of better words, failed, spectacularly,” Ortiz said. “We’ve seen businesses closing and folks that are losing their ability to have their own livelihoods.”
The City claims it installed the bike lanes and removed the parking spaces to make room for parklets and to make it safer for bicyclists. But Attorney Niall Vignoles who stood for some Valencia street businesses says he wants the city to remove the bike lane and compensate businesses for lost income.
The 16th and Valencia location will remain open!
Luckily, the We Be Sushi at Valencia and 16th Street WILL REMAIN OPEN, and Chef Andy Tonozuka will remain the head sushi Chef there for the time being.
The original WE Be Sushi at 22nd and Valencia is currently for sale, they are asking $80,000 for the lease and all the items inside the restaurant, but the name/branding is not for sale.
Tonozuka described himself to Mission Local as “mentally and physically halfway retired,” and he will devote his time to teaching chefs at the 16th Street location, so if you want We Be Sushi, go eat there and thank Chef Andy for all his years feeding the Mission!
We Be Sushi
538 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110
17th St & 16th St, SF Mission
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