After nearly four years in the Castro, fast-casual chicken-and-rice concept Rooster & Rice (4039 18th St.) closed its doors Friday, December 23.

After three years in the Castro, progressive Indian restaurant Bhoga (468 Castro St.) is calling it quits. However, the space won't sit vacant for long.

Popular Castro cookie shop Hot Cookie (407 Castro St.) is celebrating its 25th anniversary with festivities all month long including rollback pricing and a customer appreciation party. Festivities kicked off Tuesday and will last throughout the entire month.

Le Marais Bakery & Cafe in the Castro is becoming Bistro Le Marais, and they're opening a Grande Creperie window on the 18th Street side in back of the existing restaurant.

After a quick remodel and concept change, Niji Japanese Sushi & Bar has opened at 3970 17th Street (near Castro).

Dumpling Kitchen opened its second SF location Wednesday in the former Puerto Vallarta-themed Papi Rico restaurant space, which closed in 2019 after less than two years.

The long-vacant Castro storefront at 2295 Market Street (at Noe), will soon be occupied by Salvadoran restaurant Los Amigos, which opened a Mission District location in 2019.

Castro residents now have a new spot from which to pick up fresh baked pastries, desserts, and coffee.

Mexico-based chain La Borra del Café has proposed to move into the long-vacant ground floor retail space 2175 Market Street (at Sanchez and 15th streets).

"Ultimately this was a decision rooted in wanting to offer the best possible dining experience with the resources at our fingertips while maintaining as much of the original Frances character as possible," Perello says.

A new Chinese restaurant is slated to open on Castro Street in the coming weeks, occupying a long-vacant storefront.

The Epicurean Trader was just announced as the ground floor retail tenant at the new residential condo building 2238 Market — a.k.a. the development on the former Sullivan's Funeral Home property.

The Castro's fine-dining gem Frances (3870 17th St.) reopens Thursday night (June 23), after a months-long remodel, and after remaining mostly dark since March 2020.