Tommasos's, famed North Beach Eatery Closing

[vavavroom]

After about 90 years in business, Tommaso's of North Beach, SF, will be closing by the end of the year. The owners are retiring and nobody in the family wants to take over. The owners have been unable to find a buyer. I have been going there for family events and business meals for over 20 years. In the fall, they have porcini lasagne and porcini pizza based on availability. Last chance! The location is Keraby and Broadway. Prices are middling.

Golden Boy Pizza on Green Street is a few blocks from Tomasso's. Their pizza is very good.

Should you visit North Beach, check out the Columbus Tower, formerly known as the Sentinel building. It's a very interesting-looking Flatiron-style building in mostly copper patina green that was erected in 1907. Coppola's Cafe Zoetrope is housed there.

 

[GMBoy]

It seems very common today for the younger generations to refuse to take over established family businesses. I have heard of similar situations where the children want nothing to do with a successful business even given to them/passed down. The saddest examples are farmers that retire and the kids don't want to farm so it sells and becomes either new homes or bought by factory farms.

 

[vavavroom]

It seems very common today for the younger generations to refuse to take over established family businesses. I have heard of similar situations where the children want nothing to do with a successful business even given to them/passed down. The saddest examples are farmers that retire and the kids don't want to farm so it sells and becomes either new homes or bought by factory farms.

Many family businesses fail with the third generation of ownership. I knew an old car repair shop owner who ran the business with his son. I could always tell the son's heart wasn't into it. After his father had retired the son kept running the business for 5 years until his father died. The son sold the shop and got a different job within a few months.

There are also family businesses that have an owner who runs the place without allowing anybody to be more than a mere hand for decades. That can be a turnoff to potential successors who may have other ideas of how to spend their lives. Not everyone is cut out to run the family business.

 

[GSCJR]

In the fall, they have porcini lasagne and porcini pizza based on availability. Last chance!

Are you buying? We'll tag team them on the whole lasagne thing and wait for the confused look.

 

[vavavroom]

Are you buying? We'll tag team them on the whole lasagne thing and wait for the confused look.

Oh no, their food is terrible.

 

[97prizm]

Many family businesses fail with the third generation of ownership. I knew an old car repair shop owner who ran the business with his son. I could always tell the son's heart wasn't into it. After his father had retired the son kept running the business for 5 years until his father died. The son sold the shop and got a different job within a few months.

There are also family businesses that have an owner who runs the place without allowing anybody to be more than a mere hand for decades. That can be a turnoff to potential successors who may have other ideas of how to spend their lives. Not everyone is cut out to run the family business.

A guy and his dad owned a repair shop next door to a place that I worked many years ago. The guy was a few years younger than me. His dad ran the bookkeeping and turned wrenches. One day his dad has a massive heart attack and drops dead. He had no idea how to run anything but had a ton of loyal customers. A local well ran shop took over his customers and gave him a job along with a pay bump. It was tough with just two people doing everything.

 

[Urshurak776]

When I lived in Connecticut there was an Italian Deli in town called Orsini's. Just fantastic! Sandwiches were some of the best I have ever had. To this day also. The couple was ready to retire and none of their kids wanted it, so they closed shop. Real bummer. Their italian subs were just, oh my God good....

 

[vavavroom]

A guy and his dad owned a repair shop next door to a place that I worked many years ago. The guy was a few years younger than me. His dad ran the bookkeeping and turned wrenches. One day his dad has a massive heart attack and drops dead. He had no idea how to run anything but had a ton of loyal customers. A local well ran shop took over his customers and gave him a job along with a pay bump. It was tough with just two people doing everything.

Yup, a two-man operation is tricky.

 

[GSCJR]

Many family businesses fail with the third generation of ownership. I knew an old car repair shop owner who ran the business with his son. I could always tell the son's heart wasn't into it. After his father had retired the son kept running the business for 5 years until his father died. The son sold the shop and got a different job within a few months.

There are also family businesses that have an owner who runs the place without allowing anybody to be more than a mere hand for decades. That can be a turnoff to potential successors who may have other ideas of how to spend their lives. Not everyone is cut out to run the family business.

My dad had a lucrative career as a rail butcher also capable of producing artisanal cured meat back in the 70's. People would come from all over to visit his shop and gawk at the sheer volume of locally prepared meat delicacies and imported cheese, until he retired at the age of 39 in 1984.

Years later, after being tired of being retired, he started up again. My brother and I both worked for our parents as kids until we became teenagers but never had any desire to take over, we chose our own careers. My parents continued to worked in their shop with hired help until they retired permanently in the 2000's