Popular restaurants with SF Giants fans close their doors

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Several restaurants across the street from Oracle Park in San Francisco have abruptly closed their doors. They include Giants fan favorites, Pete's Tavern and Pedro's Cantina.

On Sunday, owner Pete Osbourne posted signs outside Pedro's and Pete's thanking patrons for a decade of business.

Osbourne said the decision is bittersweet but it was time to move on with sales declining. He said low attendance at the Giants games is one of the reasons.

Outside Oracle Park in San Francisco, Giants fans took pictures of Pete's Tavern and Pedro's Cantina and were stunned with their sudden closure.

"I used to see the players eat over here," said Annette Doucet of Clovis. "I used to eat over here."

"This is absolutely crazy," said Leti Cottrell of Pacifica. "I cannot believe it."

Signs posted on the restaurants windows said "Pete's and Pedro's want to thank you for the last 12 years of business. We have closed permanently and will miss seeing you here."

Owner Pete Osbourne declined to go on camera but told KTVU the restaurants were on a month to month lease and the leases were up. He said the economics of today's world made more sense to move on and to check the attendance for last year's Giants schedule. The Giants have not had a winning record since 2016.

"The Giants haven't been doing too well unfortunately which hurts me as well," said Laconstance Shahid who works at Oracle Park.

"Now that it's gone, it's going to affect the neighborhood because you have the little bar on the corner there but you sort of reduce the enjoyment level," said Jeffrey George who works at Oracle Park.

In addition to Pete's and Pedro's, Amici's on King Street and Slice House on Second Street have all recently closed.

The restaurants in the South Beach neighborhood fall in Supervisor Matt Haney's district.

"I'm definitely concerned," said Haney. "I'm concerned about King Street. That's a really important commercial corridor that we need to have vibrant."

Fans said the city should step in and help small businesses thrive. 

"Unfortunately, that's not what's dictating the economy around here," said Justin Cottrell of Pacifica. "The economy is we are running out of places to build in the city so let's vacate and put a high rise here."

The Brixton moved in on Second Street four months ago. The general manager said the restaurant is hoping to get more business from the new Chase Center about a mile away.

"We were busy, really busy for the opening of the Chase Center Metallica night," said The Brixton General Manager Aaron Steward. "We have also seen this last Friday night, the Elton John flow of people which we will see tonight."

The owner of Pete's and Pedro's said the landlord actually decreased the rents the last few years. 

Osbourne also owns Momo's and Mission Rock Resort in San Francisco. He said his focus will be on those two restaurants and that many of the 15 full-time employees who lost their jobs have found work within the organization.