For more than three decades, Squat & Gobble has been a brunch habit San Franciscans never really thought they would have to break. Now the creperie says it is closing its last remaining storefront in West Portal, with final service planned for next Sunday. The owners called the decision a difficult one and thanked generations of regulars who kept the dining room humming.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the announcement went out in an Instagram post that the paper quoted: “After 32 amazing years, the time has come for us to say Goodbye!” The Chronicle reports that the West Portal cafe’s last day of business is set for next Sunday and that the owners singled out the neighborhood for its steady support.
Neighborhood staple With A Big, Familiar Menu
Launched in 1993, Squat & Gobble grew into a family-style fixture known for oversized plates and a sprawling menu of sweet and savory crepes, egg dishes, and burgers, as noted on the restaurant’s website. At its peak, the mini-chain ran several locations across San Francisco, including spots in the Marina and the Castro, The Ingleside Light reported. Regulars still wax nostalgic about sticky dessert crepes, crab-cake benedicts, and shareable platters that could easily feed two.
A Fire, A Rebuild And Years Of Service
The West Portal location famously came back from a major four-alarm fire in 2012 that caused millions of dollars in damage and forced a full rebuild, as detailed by the San Francisco Chronicle. Despite that ordeal, along with the more recent pandemic squeeze on restaurants, the cafe kept turning out crepes and coffee for neighborhood families for years afterward. In farewell messages, the owners recalled anniversaries, graduations and other life milestones that regulars chose to celebrate at their tables.
Another Loss In A Season Of Closures
Squat & Gobble’s departure lands in the middle of a broader wave of longtime restaurant closures across the Bay Area this winter, a trend tracked by Eater SF. Coverage in outlets such as SFGate has pointed to rising operating costs and building sales as key pressures pushing some neighborhood stalwarts to call it quits. For many locals, each closure feels like more than just a business decision, but a sign that the character of their blocks is quietly shifting.
In their goodbye, the owners wrote that sharing “joy and comfort” with customers had been their greatest privilege, and they invited patrons to stop by during the restaurant’s final days. Squat & Gobble plans to remain open through next Sunday, with hours and any last-minute updates posted on the company’s website.
