Stonemill Matcha, the popular Japanese eatery that closed in August after five years in the Mission, is reopening its original location on Valencia Street under new ownership as soon as December, according to employees of the new owner.
Signs on Stonemill Matcha’s doors at 561 Valencia St. announce, “We will be back soon!” Its website today read, “Progressing Towards Reopening,” adding that the open date was “still to be determined.”
The owner of Taishoken, a ramen spot just a block away, is taking over Stonemill Matcha and keeping the name, according to city records. The same company that owns Taishoken filed for a business license in early November for Stonemill Matcha. The owner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A chef at Taishoken, Yosuke Tajiri, will head Stonemill, according to an employee at Taishoken. Another employee at Taishoken confirmed that some kitchen staff had already been working at Stonemill Matcha; on Monday, at least three employees were inside, taking baking sheets out of the oven.
“We will keep the same menu,” said Tajiri, working in Stonemill’s kitchen on Monday afternoon. He said he might add a few new items on the menu, but prefers not to reveal too many details for now. He wasn’t sure when the reopen date will be, but “hopefully in December.”
Dia Portillo, an employee at Often Wander, was surprised to see Stonemill Matcha reopening so soon. At the time when it closed, it seemed a permanent closure, and lines extended down the block for several days in anticipation. “They were still trying to figure it out,” said Portillo.
“I’m excited, even just for the ecosystem of this street,” she said, adding that the foot traffic on the block has slowed down since Stonemill’s closure.
One of the most popular stores in the Mission, Stonemill Matcha had drawn crowds to the block between 16th and 17th streets, especially in the final weeks of its five-year run. It rode a wave of growing appetite for matcha across the country, and customers would flock to the site for pork katsu sandwiches, matcha lattes and other Japanese fare.
Even weeks after their closure, tourists and locals alike would look for “that matcha place,” Portillo said.
Josh Valenzuela, an employee at the neighboring Afterlife Boutique, also echoed the cafe’s importance to the block, especially in the mornings when the foot traffic is generally slow.
“It’s also just nice to see businesses come back,” said Valenzuela.
