Al Pastor Papi, the Mexico City-style taqueria that brought sizzling trompo meat and a loyal following to Union Square, is closing its doors on December 31 after operating for only about a year and a half at 232 O'Farrell Street. Chef and owner Miguel Escobedo says new building owners demanded a triple-net lease of $25,000 a month, roughly triple what he had been paying, and he simply cannot afford it.
The restaurant opened in July 2025 with help from San Francisco's Vacant to Vibrant program, a city initiative that pairs small businesses with vacant storefronts and property owners, according to KRON4. Escobedo had run a food trailer under the same name before opening the brick-and-mortar shop.
As that lease neared its end, Escobedo tried to renegotiate directly with the property owner, per the same KRON4 report. Instead, the new owners came back with a $25,000-a-month triple-net offer, a price point he says is simply out of reach. He could not accept a rent that had nearly tripled.
A Community Favorite Caught Between City Support and Market Reality
SF New Deal, which runs Vacant to Vibrant alongside the city, said it is working with Escobedo to explore opportunities beyond the pop-up's current term, and Escobedo says he remains open to any option that keeps the taqueria alive before the deadline hits.
The restaurant opened in a former Chipotle space at 232 O'Farrell Street.
Rent Subsidies Were Always Meant to Be Temporary
Vacant to Vibrant pairs businesses with empty storefronts and provides grants and technical assistance, according to guidance from the City of San Francisco. Al Pastor Papi's case shows that even a taqueria with a following can face a rent increase it cannot afford.
Escobedo's Path to Union Square
Escobedo's path to Union Square wasn't a straight line. He closed the Al Pastor Papi trailer in January 2025. Escobedo has also built deep community ties through charitable food drives with organizations like The City Eats and Hijas del Campo, work that prompted the City of San Francisco to officially proclaim an Al Pastor Papi Day in 2021.
Vacant to Vibrant's influence has spread well beyond Union Square. The Oakland Downtown Development Corporation modeled its own retail activation effort after the San Francisco program this year as Oakland's office vacancy rate climbed to 38 percent, Hoodline previously reported.
The proposed rent increase has put the taqueria's future in doubt. For now, Escobedo says he still loves San Francisco and the Union Square area that gave his taqueria a second life, and he's keeping the door open to any last option before December 31 arrives.
