Rickenbacker’s bar to close in June
After 37 years in a building whose gold plaque promises “fair play and a square deal,” old-school San Francisco bar Eddie Rickenbacker’s will close next month — a casualty, its co-owner said, of a rent increase.
San Francisco restaurateur Dennis Leary and business partner Eric Passetti are taking over the space at 133 Second St., with plans to open a “bar with food” called Henry Africa. It’s named after former Rickenbacker’s proprietor Norman Hobday, the Francisco saloonist who passed away in 2011. Hobday opened a fern bar by that name in 1969 and later changed his legal name to Henry Africa as well.
“We’ve chosen the name Henry Africa because we want to do our part to maintain some sort of historical continuity from past to present in downtown S.F., which as we all know is under threat,” Leary said via email.
Eddie Rickenbacker’s, named for the ace World War I fighter pilot and Medal of Honor recipient, will serve its last burger and beer in mid-June. Plans to open an outpost in the Transbay transit center are in the works. No opening date has been given.
“This is one of those situations where you feel the hardship of doing business in San Francisco. With so many things increasing in cost, it’s hard to start something and maintain it,” said co-owner Noelle Calixto. “We have a new location coming up, but not every place has that luxury.”
Calixto took over Eddie RickenSan
backer’s with local restaurateur Rick Howard roughly six years ago. One of the first things they did was scale back the place’s kitschy decor, including Tiffany lamps and motorcycles hanging from ceiling. Today the interior is filled with wood surfaces and black leather stools and booths.
The business was profitable over the years, Calixto said, adding that while the crowds were consistent, rent tripled. The bar’s lease comes to an end next month, and Calixto said the landlord offered the owners a short-term lease with a 42% rent increase. Six years ago, the rent for the bar was $8,500 a month, and the proposed agreement was for $25,000 a month, Calixto said.
Ken Epstein, landlord for the Second Street space, has not responded to a request for comment.
Leary is known for his talent as a chef, but since 2013 he has focused on developing bars, including Tequila Mockingbird, Natoma Cabana and Café Terminus. At Henry Africa, he’ll be back in the kitchen.
“So, as Eddie Rickenbacker’s was Norman’s final bar and Henry Africa his first, we hope this gesture brings his legacy full circle,” Leary said. “It’s going to be a fun project, and I’m looking forward to cooking again after five years in the wilderness.”