SF’s 41-Year-Old Mexican Restaurant “Don Ramon’s” Closed
Thanks to SFist for sharing the sad news that SF Mexican restaurant “Don Ramon’s” closed for good on March 31, 2023.
Don Ramon’s opened in 1982 at 225 11th Street and became a go-to spot for gay community.
The restaurant began struggling a few years ago when they took out a $5 million loan from predatory lenders to repair the building. Back in September 2020, they announced that they might close but six months later were saved through bankruptcy reorganization. However, just few months into 2023, they sadly announced they’re closing for good.
According to statement on Don Ramon’s website, the Ramirez Family said:
“We are saddened to announce that, as of March 31, 2023, Don Ramon’s will be closed.
It breaks our hearts to say goodbye to our customers, especially our regulars, who have been able call Don Ramon’s a second home for years. And we are devastated for our employees, who have given so much of themselves to this community – some of them for more than 20 years. We fought long and hard to save our beloved restaurant – but in the end, hard work, community support, love and tradition weren’t enough. Don Ramon’s has been a South of Market outpost for regular folks, families, members of the Latino and LGBTQ communities, and many of the City’s most prominent movers and shakers alike for 40 years. We have welcomed people from all walks of life through our doors – celebrating everything from baby showers and weddings and quinceañeras, to retirement dinners, wakes and memorials – while also catering to the city’s political establishment. The restaurant has also been a familiar staple of the annual Folsom Street Parade, where everyone from leather daddies to motorcycle cops are expected to turn up for lunch or dinner.
Since 1982, Don Ramon’s has been serving authentic flavors from Ayulta, Jalisco, Mexico. Since opening, our parents, Ramon and Guadalupe Ramirez, brought their appreciation for fresh ingredients and traditional techniques of Mexican cooking. Ramon had a vision of opening a sit-down Mexican restaurant and working alongside his family. We have kept the family’s legacy strong by serving the same recipes and providing excellent customer service.
Together with our employees and our customers, we are all family.
And so San Francisco has lost a family … We are incredibly grateful to everyone who worked here, everyone who ate and drank here, and everyone who cared about Don Ramon’s. We will miss you.”
– Leonila, Nati, Lucy & Nathalee Ramirez
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