The perils of finding a space in S.F.

Prubechu searches for a new home

“You see it everyday, these places closing, restaurants that you never thought would shut down.”

Shawn Camacho, Prubechu

Shawn Camacho wants Prubechu, San Francisco’s only Guamanian restaurant, to live on in the city.

He’s just struggling to see how it can happen.

Since being priced out of the Mission District in the fall, Camacho and his business partner, chef Shawn Naputi, have been relegated to navigating a San Francisco real estate market flooded by exorbitant prices.

Camacho said they’ve come to learn that San Francisco isn’t accommodating to the small, neighborhood restaurant, but Camacho believes the city’s dining scene is losing some of its character.

“You see it everyday, these places closing, restaurants that you never thought would shut down,” Camacho said, specifically referencing the often-busy Stones Throw restaurant in Russian Hill, which is closing Tuesday, Jan. 1.

Camacho added: “There are open spaces in some neighborhoods that haven’t been filled in a long time. Instead of lowering the rent to get people in, landlords are just waiting because they know at some point, a restaurant will be able to pay it.”

Prubechu was a small operation with induction burners in the kitchen instead of gas stoves. It wasn’t unusual to see chef Naputi delivering gollai hagun suni — a dish made of squash, spinach, sweet pepper, onion, coconut milk and turmeric — to tables in the dining room.

One of the places Camacho looked into as a potential home for Prubechu was the former Lolo Cevicheria space at 3230 22nd St. It closed in 2017 amid lease issues and rising rent — and the space has remained empty since.

“Places like that are going for $10,000 a month in the

city,” Camacho said, adding that at 35 seats, Prubechu would have to generate around $100,000 each month in revenue to accommodate the rent.

But there remains hope. When Prubechu announced in September that it would be closing at the end of that month, there was a rush of support from the community. Crowds filled the dining room regularly, which, in turn, allowed the shop to stay open through October.

For now, Prubechu will roam the city as a pop-up, of sorts, until a new location comes to fruition. Camacho said they’re nailing down specifics now and should have a full schedule for 2019. Between those pop-ups and temporary gigs, said Camacho, he plans to keep looking for a space in city.

“We left that space with our heads held high,” Camacho said. “We left with a lot of encouragement and hope. Now we just have to find a space we can afford.”

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips

Photos by John Storey / Special to The Chronicle 2014 Prubechu, top, in its former Mission District home. Chef-owner Shawn Naputi (above left) and business partner Shawn Camacho are looking for a new location in S.F. for their restaurant that serves the foods of Guam.