On Wednesday, Giordano Bros. bar owner Jeff Jordan announced he was making a trade. Instead of screening professional games at his sports bar, he’ll be watching the sports games of his children.
After a 10-year run at 3108 16th St. near Valencia Street, the bar and restaurant Giordano Bros. will run its last play on Feb. 27.
“For a lack of a better word, it’s time,” Jordan said. Now he wants to “find more time to be driving my kids around to football games and swim meets.”
In a statement, his wife, Allison, agreed. “We will miss our long-time staff and regular customers, but if there’s one thing we learned from the Covid shutdowns, it’s that we wanted to spend more time with family. Our kids are now in high school and middle school, and there are important things we don’t want to miss.”
The Jordans launched the business and introduced Pittsburgh sandwiches to North Beach in 2004. Seven years later, they opened their Mission District location with Adam DeMezza, who moved to Lake Tahoe years ago. The North Beach location closed in 2015, according to Eater.
Just last August, the Jordans celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Giordano Bros. Mission location. Over the years, the couple forged several friendships with staff and customers, many of whom gathered around to watch a game over some brewskis.
“I mean, it was really beyond a business. It was our social life in many ways,” Jordan told Mission Local. “And so the number of friends that we’ve made over the years is just … you just can’t put that into words.”
He said in the 18 years Giordano Bros. operated in San Francisco, fans witnessed Super Bowl and World Series victories, NBA championships and Stanley Cups. “There have been just incredibly fun days for a sports bar.”
While the pandemic wasn’t the main reason Giordano Bros. shut down, the constant stops and starts of reopening did incite multiple discussions about possibly closing, Jordan said. Like other bars, Giordano Bros. needed to rely on takeout and outdoor dining, and after the latter halted, the bar went dark for approximately eight months, opening just in time for the 10th anniversary last August.
However, “the decision was not, necessarily, financial. It was personal,” Jordan emphasized. He did pay rent, and he maintained a good relationship with his landlord, which helped. Similar to other city businesses, the company also received a federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund Covid-19 recovery grant amounting to $700,000.
The pandemic, however, reminded the Jordans that there are other ways they’d like to spend their time. “I started this when I was 36 years old, and I am now 56,” Jordan said. “It started with no kids, and now I have two kids, one in high school and one in middle school. You just have different responsibilities and priorities.”
The Jordans have other ventures they are looking toward, but will “keep that under wraps” for now. The couple will continue being part-owners of The Monk’s Kettle Terra Linda in San Rafael.
In a statement to the customers, the bar partners said, “Giordano Bros.’ lifespan has been long in San Francisco restaurant years, and the end of the football season feels like a fitting time to close. We now look forward to being able to focus on other business ventures.”
Giordano Bros. will continue to operate during its normal hours, which are 4 to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Its last day will be Feb. 27.
“…the company also received a federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund Covid-19 recovery grant amounting to $700,000. ”
$700,000 ? How much went into their own pockets by shutting down, I wonder.
“…part-owners of The Monk’s Kettle Terra Linda in San Rafael.” “…other business ventures.” They’re not out of the business, they’re just closing one restaurant. Go ahead and wonder, Mikey; your snide insinuation says more about you than you think it says about the Jordans.
Colindo, jpg55, jennifer – why did you even post here? You violate the First Rule of Giordano’s; “Don’t be a jagoff.” I can just see your sympathy cards: “Too bad your dad died, but there were better dads than him.” For two decades Giordano Bros has provided a gathering place for people who maybe missed their home towns or just wanted to share a sports experience with like-minded people. My thanks to the Jordans, and I wish them all the best.
In recent history this was the kind of neighborhood where people came to get away from things like sports bars. They came here for culture, lifestyles, art, shared politics, social stuff, sex stuff, brainy-bookish stuff, things like that.
Around ‘97 and increasing exponentially since, you saw different people who started to come here for careers in tech, finance, real estate. These are the kinds of people who say, “Now there should be sports bars because sports bars are normal and they remind us of home and we need that in this godforsaken place full of weirdos where we have to make our money.”
The former group has long felt alarmed and crowded by the latter group. They are, of course, going to favorably remember previous restaurants that catered to and welcomed them the way you feel Giordano bros welcomed you. Of course, also they’ll get a little gloat-ey now that the place is going under.
RIP Ti Couz.
Speaking as a 3 decade resident of the block, 16th and Valencia was never really sports bar territory. Probably a stupid fantasy, but it’d be cool if whoever rents the place next is someone who makes the block feel slightly less like a bridge-and-tunnel shopping mall.
Places to eat and drink in the Mission got so expensive that I haven’t kept up of what business opened and closed in the last 15 years. Even if I knew, I probably wouldn’t’ve cater to them. It’s as if the Mission became a playland for the afluent that want to see some grunge.
Novel sandwiches, stellar cole slaw and an East Coast sports crowd not from Boston
I miss Ti Couz.
me too
And saying ti couz was better? Apples to oranges comparison, vastly different spots.
Coulda saw this coming. They never really seemed into reopening the place (no outdoor service, no Instagram updates,)
I’m still bummed they closed a thriving North Beach location.
Best wings and sandwiches in town. It will be missed.
Meh. Ti Couz was better anyway. RIP Sylvie. You are missed…
that is exactly what I was thinking
I completely agree. Ti Couz was a real gem.
No love for Girodano’s, huh? You might appreciate them a bit more if a plastic-y bubble tea shop goes in the space like did at their old North Beach location.