Walk the blocks of upper Fillmore between Pine and Washington streets this fall and you'll still see papered windows. You'll also see signs that the long pause is ending. Two years after an investor group started buying buildings on this stretch of Pacific Heights, the vacancies are being filled one at a time, and the mix includes chef-driven restaurants, a movie house slated for restoration and Nordstrom Local.
Here's what happened, what's coming and what's still unresolved.
How the Street Got Here
In 2024, a group tied to venture capitalist Neil Mehta began buying commercial buildings on upper Fillmore under the banner of the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project. By August 2026, the San Francisco Standard reported that the group had put tens of millions of dollars into seven properties, including the Clay Theater, and had just added an eighth.
The early months were rough for some longtime businesses. KTVU reported in August 2024 that Ten-Ichi, a sushi restaurant that had been on Fillmore since 1978, had been told to vacate, and that La Méditerranée across the street was facing the end of its lease. Starbucks and the clothing chain Alice + Olivia also left buildings the group acquired, according to the Standard. Headlines about longtime tenants being pushed out set the tone for how many people still think about this street.
Why the Storefronts Stayed Dark So Long
From the sidewalk, two years of empty windows can look like decline. On upper Fillmore, the vacancies say more about how the spaces are being filled than about demand for them.
Restaurant projects are slow by nature. A new kitchen in an older building typically means design, permits and a full buildout before anyone serves a meal, and a chef's menu can depend on what that buildout allows. Add a historic landmark review on top, as two of these buildings have faced, and a year or more of dark windows isn't unusual.
It's worth keeping in mind that Fillmore never stopped being a serious restaurant street. When the San Francisco Chronicle released its 2026 Top 100 Bay Area restaurants list in March, The Progress at 1525 Fillmore ranked No. 2 and Copra at 1700 Fillmore ranked No. 4. Both are on the lower part of the street, south of these blocks. Atelier Crenn, at 3127 Fillmore in Cow Hollow, came in at No. 29.
What's New and Coming to Upper Fillmore
Concept | Address | Previously | What we know |
|---|---|---|---|
Monami | 2001 Fillmore | Noosh | Upscale Korean barbecue from the team behind Michelin-starred SSAL; was aiming for a fall 2026 opening |
Thai restaurant (name not final) | 2222 Fillmore | Starbucks | From the chef behind Kin Khao and Nari; focused on khao soi; no opening timeframe announced |
Nordstrom Local | 1919 Fillmore | — | Pickup, alterations and returns; open since October 2025 |
Monami is the headliner - a high-end Korean steakhouse where guests grill premium cuts at the table. The Thai project at 2222 Fillmore was reported by SFist in August, with its name and menu still being worked out. Neither had announced an opening date, so check each restaurant's own channels before you plan a night around them.
Farther south, the lower Fillmore corridor keeps adding options too. Tacos El Patrón now has a Fillmore location at 1325 Fillmore, which The Infatuation reviewed in September 2026.
The Clay Theater
The Clay at 2261 Fillmore dates to the early 1910s and closed in January 2020, after nearly three decades as part of the Landmark Theatres chain. It's now owned by the same group, and the plan is to bring it back as a single-screen cinema.
According to the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project, the restored Clay is planned at about 200 seats with more than 500 screenings a year, mixing first-run films, repertory classics and filmmaker events, with 4K digital projection and 35mm capability. The project says the theater's historic landmark features will be kept. Its creative lead has run digital content for New York's Metrograph, which gives a sense of the programming the team has in mind.
In 2026, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the restoration plan had cleared a key city hurdle. No reopening date has been announced, so watch the theater's own updates.
Who Stayed and Who Didn't
La Méditerranée, which looked like it might be next to go in 2024, is still on Fillmore. In December 2024 the restaurant extended its lease through summer 2028, according to the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project, and the Standard reported the same extension this August.
Ten-Ichi didn't get that outcome. The restaurant left 2235 Fillmore in 2024, and SFist reported in August 2026 that the space was still empty. Noosh also closed, and its corner at 2001 Fillmore is the space becoming Monami.
Opinion on the block is still split. The Standard's August reporting found support from the merchants association alongside unease from people working on the street about one investor shaping so much of it. Both reactions are reasonable, and both will likely stick around until more of these storefronts are open.
The Building Still Up in the Air
The newest purchase is also the least settled. In August 2026, the group paid about $8.6 million for 2035-2047 Fillmore, according to the San Francisco Standard, citing city records. The building's storefronts, last home to Aquatalia, A-Pizza and Mio, had been emptying out since 2022, and the Standard reported plans to bring a restaurant into the space.
The building is also under consideration as a city landmark, which could limit how the storefronts are reconfigured. In June, the Board of Supervisors gave the Historic Preservation Commission until October 6, 2026 to respond to the proposed designation. The outcome will shape how quickly anything opens there.
What to Watch Through December
- Monami's opening date at 2001 Fillmore
- A name, menu and timeline for the Thai restaurant at 2222 Fillmore
- Construction progress and a reopening date for the Clay Theater
- The Historic Preservation Commission's response on 2035-2047 Fillmore and the Board of Supervisors' vote that follows
- New tenants for the remaining empty spaces, including the former Ten-Ichi storefront
The 2024 version of this story focused on longtime businesses leaving a beloved strip. The 2026 version is more mixed: some longtime businesses are gone, one stayed, and the spaces are starting to fill with independent, chef-led restaurants, with restoration planned for the single-screen theater. How the landmark building and the remaining vacancies play out will decide how this stretch feels a year from now.
If you're watching Pacific Heights for reasons that go beyond dinner reservations, I track how changes on corridors like this one show up for buyers and sellers on the surrounding blocks. Schedule a free consultation to talk through what's happening in the neighborhood you're watching.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
