I have been getting up extra early for work, and was working at home all day when I needed to get out of the house for a walk. While walking around the neighborhood, I passed by what was once the “Daily Dose.”
I can’t remember a time when this was open (maybe several years ago, but it’s a bit hazy), and I often wonder what happened to it, or what will happen to the space. When one peeks inside, there’s still coffee, tea, and so on inside, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s really been in there in a while. I can see why the location might not seem ideal, but Al’s Market, which is right next door, seems to be doing OK, as are Koo and the Park’s Farmers Market across the street.
Likewise, I keep wondering what is happening in the old PJ’s Oysterbed space. I got a notice as a local resident indicating the liquor license was changing hands, and today I saw inside and the place is being seriously gutted for a remodel, but I was looking around online and couldn’t find anything.
If anyone has any recent information on either, post it in the comments. Change seems to be in the air, both the good kind with new places opening for business, and not so good, with some places closing or remaining empty for some time.
According to SF Eater, PJ’s will soon become another Fresca location:
http://sf.eater.com/archives/2009/06/16/pjs_oysterbed_fresca.php
I’ve been living on 5th Ave. between Irving and Parnassus for the past 4 years. I’ve never seen it open. Very occasionally, something that looks like a family gathering takes place inside- a whole bunch of people, including women with children in strollers, will be in there, and they’ll be talking and having beverages and reading the paper. (But I don’t think it’s open to the public during those times, either.) I don’t really know what’s going on.
A few years ago I was chatty with the former proprietor of Al’s (when it was “Essential Foods” – that place ruled!) and I think he said the sons or brothers of the family who owns the building had some plans for the cafe but could never quite get it together. (It probably is their family gathering you’re seeing in there?) He didn’t make it sound like there was any sense of urgency toward making the space useful. There may have also been some issue with wanting a beer & wine license or something.
As long as we’re on the topic of N-line businesses, you know Pasta Pomodoro on Irving is rumored soon to be Beautifull Foods?
The last time I remember Daily Dose being open was my first summer in SF, Summer of 2000. I am always still surprised when I walk by to see that no one has done anything with it yet… It’s always creepy to see an abandoned yet still sort of full of stuff storefront.
I’m still wondering what’s the deal with the old Wunder Beer spot on 9th. Why does everything there go out of business? Is the rent absurdly high? I mean, the brewing equipment has got to be worth quite a bit, but still…
I thought that Wunder Brewing had some pretty good beer and some really nice food but the service was absolutely horrible both times I went in and the next thing I knew it was gone. They were barely around six months it seemed–maybe everybody else had bad experiences there.
The place before it, Eldo’s (I think that’s what is was called), was pretty bad all the way down the line.
It’s a shame, it’s a nice atmosphere in there and it’s in a perfect spot.
@megan allison: oh yeah I heard about that…I finally checked out their other location, it looks kinda fun.
@joel, eric: from what I’ve been told, the brewery building’s rent is abysmally high – the source I talked to said it was 15-17,000 per MONTH. That is very expensive, even for one with a working brewery. I don’t see how any restaurant could make it in that space with that amount of rent.
Wunder beer’s beer was good, but you’re right about the service – it started out ok, but then it just plummeted. I went there for lunch with my mom and the chef didn’t bother to show up. They neglected to tell us this after we’d ordered. Eldos was the coldest (in atmosphere) bar I’ve ever been in.
It’s been vacant so long you’d think the landlord might cut the rent a little and make some money off it. A vacant building makes no money!
I’ve been in the neighborhood since ’04 and have never seen Daily Dose open. I have seen inside what sounds like the same group with strollers as synapse describes. People I know who have been around for a couple years longer also state that they have never seen it open.
Yeah, lots of turnover lately. That photo place at around Irving and 7th is gone; just the other day I saw a sign on Minh Trih indicating that they’d be closing. The old Crossroads space is also still empty, but of course that’s a much more recent transition.
I could be wrong, but I think that the Daily Dose place is owned by the same people that own Yellow Submarine.
Daily Dose has been shuttered since at least 2001.
I heard the rats in the abandoned PJ’s space were banding together to start a French provincial restaurant.
haha good one….