Two big nuggets of information came out on Tuesday about the Mina Group, the growing empire of restaurants by local celebrity chef Michael Mina.
First, the San Francisco Business Times reported that Mina is stepping down as CEO of his company, the Mina Group, to spend more time in the kitchen. He has tapped Bill Freeman for the top spot. Freeman has been the CEO and chairman of Bertucci’s Italian restaurants out of New England and McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, among other positions.
Also, Eater SF reported that Mina revealed the new concept for his upcoming restaurant at 350 Mission St. that's supposed to debut in the fall. (The building, which is named for its address, will house offices for Salesforce and is adjacent to the forthcoming Salesforce Tower, set to debut in 2018.) The new restaurant will be inspired by Middle’terranea, the company's first pop-up at the Marina's Mina Test Kitchen, which debuted last summer. The name will be different, but it's unclear what it will be; the liquor license application is now under the Mina Group LLC, with no "doing business as" name listed.
The building site at 350 Mission. (Photo: Kilroy Realty)
We broke the news back in November that the company had filed for a liquor license at 350 Mission under the name Middle'terranea, which is usually a precursor to opening a restaurant. At the time, Mina Group's publicity team told us the concept "will not be Middle’terranea ... We were thrilled it was such a success at the Mina Test Kitchen and are excited to see what the future holds, but we currently do not have plans to open Middle’terranea."
The Middle'terranea pop-up in the Marina served food inspired by the cuisines of Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt, and met with critical acclaim and strong crowds throughout its three-month stint. The Mina Test Kitchen is currently still serving its "Little Italy" menu, but a new Indian menu, called "The Company," is set to debut March 1st.
The Mina Group has grown to include more than two dozen restaurants nationwide, including Michael Mina's flagship at 252 California St. and nine others here in the city. However, Inside Scoop recently reported that Mina will close Bourbon Steak in the Westin St. Francis on March 31st. He's on the hunt for a new location where he can do things like cure meats and make spun-to-order ice cream.
