A wine bar and bistro called Passages is slated to open at 401 Haight Street in San Francisco's Lower Haight, taking over the corner space that housed Two Jack's Nik's Place for 45 years. The new spot is expected to open in March 2027 and will pair a primarily Californian wine list with a menu of casual food and vegan dishes, including fries, onion rings, and a house salad built around seasonal fruit, fried shallots, frisée, mandarin juice, and vegan ranch dressing.
According to WhatNow, the venture is backed by Ligaya Tichy, a former Yelp and Airbnb executive who founded the hospitality venture fund New Entity to steer emerging local tech wealth into independent San Francisco food and beverage concepts, as reported by The San Francisco Standard. The move places Passages inside a broader citywide pattern of tech-derived capital flowing directly into neighborhood restaurants and bars.
The site the new business will occupy carries decades of history. Two Jack's Nik's Place officially closed on July 14, 2022, after 45 years of continuous operation in the Lower Haight, per SFGATE. The restaurant was originally established in 1977 by Stephen and Almeta Perry, later taken over by their daughter Nikki Cooper in 2006, and it earned an official San Francisco Legacy Business designation in 2016.
A Legacy Business Owner Moves On
Cooper sold her lease at 401 Haight Street in July 2022 to step into a role as Program Director at the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce, the same SFGATE report notes, explaining how the storied commercial space became available for new operators. The space includes a commercial kitchen featuring a Type 1 hood and basement prep area.
The corner has long doubled as a community gathering spot beyond its dining room. Back in May 2015, local merchants and residents rallied to support a parklet application outside 401 Haight Street meant to create neighborhood seating and host monthly Poetry in the Parklet events, Hoodline previously reported on the parklet push.
Chef Brings Vegan Pop-Up Experience To A Permanent Home
Chef Alex Lauritzen, who brings more than a decade of restaurant industry experience from stints at Cotogna, Verjus, and Bar Gemini, is behind the kitchen concept, per WhatNow's reporting. Lauritzen previously ran The Mushroom, a vegan pop-up dinner series that began in 2021 and ran for four years, known for creative plant-based dishes like poached carrot hot dogs with green garlic toum and stuffed delicata squash, according to StarChefs.
For Passages, Lauritzen is commissioning a house chardonnay and orange wine from boutique natural wineries to anchor the wine list. The space will mix reserved and communal seating, with movable lightweight tables and stadium-style benches at the back of the room, and Lauritzen has worked with seven local artists on paintings, ceramic tiles, and other interior elements, per WhatNow.
Design Team Shapes Passages' Interior
Architect Hallie Chen is involved in the project. Interior designer Homan Rajai co-founded San Francisco design firm Studio AHEAD with Elena Dendiberia, according to CanvasRebel. Rajai is also involved in shaping the space's design.
Between the historic building, the new investment structure, and the design pedigree involved, Passages represents a striking bet on the Lower Haight corridor's future while carrying forward a corner that has meant something to the neighborhood for generations.
