Ayesha Curry’s International Smoke San Francisco quietly closes
SAN FRANCISCO - International Smoke San Francisco, the restaurant founded by Ayesha Curry and Chef Michael Mina , quietly closed its doors.
"The Mina Group has made the decision to close International Smoke to finalize renovations for an exciting next chapter," the hospitality group said in a statement posted on the restaurant’s website.
The Mina Group did not elaborate on the new concept. However, Eater SF reported that Neighborhood Test Kitchen, a new project from Mina, is expected to take over the former International Smoke space on Mission Street at the Millennium Tower.
Restaurant opened in 2017
What we know:
International Smoke, known for its grilled meats and global barbecue-inspired menu, opened in 2017. The restaurant also expanded to locations in Las Vegas and Houston, which have since shuttered. It marked Curry’s first restaurant venture.
Mina told Eater SF the closure was due to several factors, including the pandemic and ongoing construction around the Millennium Tower connected to the skyscraper’s well-documented sinking issues.
Featured
No kids, more dogs, and family-style platters: Welcome to the future of dining
Ditch the kids, bring the dogs. That’s the message from diners who overwhelmingly want to eat at places where they do not have to worry about children interrupting their meals.
Mina brings back test kitchen concept
What's next:
Neighborhood Test Kitchen is a concept Mina has explored before. The chef previously launched Mina Test Kitchen, a rotating restaurant pop-up that closed in 2019.
This new project will feature chefs rotating through the kitchen for several months at a time. Participating chefs will create menus centered on family-style meals, and diners can provide feedback and suggestions at the end of each experience. Meal prices are expected to range from $55 to $65.
The Source: This story was written based on information from the Mina Group.