For the first time in more than a decade, there will be no free buffet, no block party and no political schmoozing on Ellis Street this Election Day. John's Grill, the historic Union Square restaurant that has turned Nov. 3 into one of San Francisco's most beloved civic rituals, has canceled this year's gathering to honor co-owner Sydna Konstin, who died in June.
A Tradition Paused, Not Ended
The decision was confirmed by family spokesperson Lee Housekeeper, who said the free lunch and nonpartisan political gathering will not be held this election, as reported by SFGATE. John Konstin Jr., who co-owned the restaurant with his sister and their father, said the event will return in the future, even as this year's pause stands. The family and restaurant staff needed time to focus on Sydna's life rather than face the pressure of staging the gathering, according to the outlet.
John's Grill will still be open for normal service on Election Day, Nov. 3, so diners can still grab a meal at 63 Ellis St. — just without the free food, wine and crowds that have defined the day since the party moved to the restaurant more than a decade ago. What started as a smaller insider affair grew into a full-blown public block party, with attendees asked to vote instead of paying for entry, according to SFGATE.
Remembering Sydna Konstin
Sydna Ellen Konstin died of heart failure on June 26 in Athens, Greece, at age 41, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. She was a third-generation co-owner of John's Grill, operating the restaurant alongside her brother, John Konstin Jr., as the family's third generation at the helm. Born in San Francisco in 1984 and raised in Marin County, she attended Tamalpais High School and graduated from the University of San Francisco, the Chronicle reported.
In recent years Konstin had been living in Athens, where she worked in real estate, but the Chronicle's report notes she remained closely connected to the family business despite the distance. Hundreds of friends and community members gathered for her memorial service, with a procession led by bagpipers making its way from the Westin St. Francis Hotel down Powell Street to John's Grill itself — a route that traced the same streets where the Election Day crowds have gathered for years.
A Party Decades in the Making
John's Grill dates to 1908 and was purchased by Gus Konstin in 1969, according to Local News Matters, which also reported that the Election Day gathering was hosted jointly with former Mayor Willie Brown and featured a full block party atmosphere on Ellis Street. Brown and John Konstin have hosted the luncheon at every election since 2015, give or take a few primaries, according to the San Francisco Examiner. The event typically closed off Ellis Street from noon to 2 p.m. with a free buffet and wine inside the restaurant, according to Broke-Ass Stuart.
Turnout estimates for the party have varied widely across its history. SFGATE reported that about 6,000 people attended the most recent gathering in 2024, while the Examiner put the crowd at more than 4,000 city leaders, residents, politicos, journalists and staffers that year, and the San Francisco Standard described that same 2024 event as drawing hundreds of residents to the old-school Union Square spot. John Konstin told the Examiner the restaurant had cooked enough food for 4,500 people that year, ordering 1,000 pounds of chicken and 500 pounds of lamb for the occasion. Years earlier, in 2016, more than 2,000 people were packed into the restaurant before noon, with chefs preparing enough pasta and chicken for about 4,000 guests, per SFist.
This year, those crowds will have to wait. The family's message, delivered through Housekeeper, is one of grief rather than politics — a pause meant to give everyone connected to John's Grill room to mourn Sydna Konstin before the tradition she helped carry forward returns to Ellis Street in the future.
