Limón, a Peruvian restaurant chain with two locations in the Mission, has closed its spot at 1001 South Van Ness Ave., according to a notice posted on its door.
“After 16 incredible years serving you at our South Van Ness location, it’s time for a heartfelt goodbye,” the sign reads. The location served its last lomo saltados, ceviches and pisco sours on Sunday, Jan. 12.
But the restaurant is not closed forever, according to a Limón employee, who said that the restaurant would be making an announcement in the coming weeks. The notice, posted last week, also promised “exciting new experiences coming to this very location.”
The restaurant’s owners declined to comment, and its representative did not detail their plans. The employee said the building will undergo renovations, which will take at least until March. On Wednesday, construction was already underway inside the otherwise dark and empty building.
The restaurant’s owners, the employee said, want all Limón’s locations to look physically similar. Limón has six other locations in Walnut Creek, Oakland, Burlingame, Mountain View, and Redwood City, and on Valencia Street. The South Van Ness restaurant is the only one being closed, however.
Records from the San Francisco Planning Department show the restaurant received approval on Jan. 3 for interior and exterior work that includes the removal of its current sign.
Since the opening of its first location in 2002, on 17th Street, the restaurant has become a favorite in the neighborhood for those looking for the flavors only Peruvian cuisine offers: A marriage of Indigenous, European, Japanese, Chinese and African traditions.