San Francisco restaurateur Rene Denis, the force behind Chao Pescao and the former Soluna Cafe & Lounge, appears to have his sights set on Mission Bay. A newly filed liquor-license application lists a project called “Noches” at 301 King St., the storefront that most recently housed Death by Tacos. Denis has not publicly shared an opening timeline, and for now the official paperwork offers little more than a name and the size of the space.
According to WhatNow, the filing identifies Noches for a roughly 1,736-square-foot unit at the address. The notice confirms the location and square footage but skips over key details like hours, menu style or a projected launch date. At this point, the liquor-license application is the first public document clearly connecting Denis to a Mission Bay venture.
Denis has built his local reputation in Civic Center, where he transformed his Soluna Cafe & Lounge into Chao Pescao in 2021, shifting the space into a Cuban-and-Colombian concept centered on empanadas, arepas and other comfort dishes. In an interview with Eater SF, he said he wanted to bring the Cuban and Colombian food he grew up with to San Francisco. The Chao Pescao site lists Denis as the founder and highlights the Civic Center spot’s colorful design and menu.
Denis Stays Mum On What “Noches” Really Means
Denis is not offering much more than the paperwork. He declined to discuss opening plans and told WhatNow that “Noches” represents only part of a longer restaurant name. That brief tease leaves open whether the new place will echo Chao Pescao’s casual Latin comfort-food approach or head in a completely different direction. For now, the state liquor filing remains the clearest signal of his next move.
The Space’s Recent Past
The 301 King St. address most recently belonged to Death by Tacos, which shut down in early December 2023 after about five years in business, according to a running closures list from Eater SF. The vacancy is one more data point in Mission Bay’s ongoing restaurant shuffle, where spots near offices and event venues have seen frequent turnover. In this landscape, liquor-license postings often serve as the first hint of what might replace a shuttered tenant.
What To Watch Next
Neighbors and local diners looking for clues should keep an eye out for building permits, new signage on the King Street frontage and any formal business announcement or listing. It is not unusual for liquor-license approvals to precede a public opening by several months. If Denis ultimately pursues something in the vein of Chao Pescao’s blend of approachable Latin comfort food and bold aesthetics, Mission Bay would present a different crowd and rhythm than Civic Center. For now, observers will have to watch the permit pipeline for clearer hints on timing and the full concept behind that partial name, “Noches.”
