Dessert shop 'Sweet Castro' shutters; Park Gyros to expand into its space

Dessert shop 'Sweet Castro' shutters; Park Gyros to expand into its spaceSweet Castro at 451 Castro St. is now closed. | Photo: Steven Bracco/Hoodline
Steven Bracco
Published on November 08, 2018

After less than two years in the neighborhood, ice cream and Turkish dessert shop Sweet Castro (451 Castro St.) has closed up shop.

Owner Ali Yaldiz opened Sweet Castro in 2017, in the space previously occupied by Eureka! Cafe. He's also behind the neighboring Park Gyros (which also has an Inner Sunset location), and formerly owned the Mission's Tuba Authentic Turkish Restaurant.

Now, Hoodline has learned from Yaldiz that he plans on expanding Park Gyros into Sweet Castro's vacant space.

Inside the now-closed Sweet Castro. | Photo: Arda K./Yelp

Yaldiz opened the Castro location of Park Gyros (449 Castro St.) earlier this year, replacing Slider's Diner.

Ever since, he said, his catering business has been so busy that he's run out of room to prepare food.

"Park Gyros is doing so well that we need the extra space," he said. "The ice cream business was pretty good, but we just need more room for Park Gyros."

The expanded space will only be used as a prep kitchen, and customers will not be able to access it. Construction work is currently underway, and Yaldiz expects to have the prep kitchen up and running in about 10 days.

2018 has brought a lot of turnover for the Castro's dessert businesses. Sweet Castro's fellow frozen dessert parlor Chocolate Chair didn't make it to the six-month mark, and longtime favorite Sweet Inspiration shuttered after 37 years.

But at least one sweet newcomer appears to be thriving: Kitchen Story spinoff U :Dessert Story, which has regularly drawn lines since its May debut.