The San Francisco Standard quoted Tim Omi, president of the Fillmore Merchants Association, saying, "The space has been sitting empty, and it will be amazing to have it start to get worked on." He was discussing the latest building to change hands on the strip. Hoodline reported that the building at 2035-2047 Fillmore sold this month for roughly $8.6 million, and that it's the eighth property on this corridor to land in the same buyer's portfolio.
If you've walked Fillmore between Pine and Post in the last few weeks, you've probably noticed the pace of change feels different from the usual shop-opens, shop-closes rhythm. Several visible changes this summer include a property sale and new restaurant plans.
The building nobody could figure out what to do with
Start with 2035-2047 Fillmore itself, because it's a clear example of the changes underway. Built in 1926 as a Mediterranean Revival commercial building with leaded glass transoms and rope-molded Corinthian columns, it spent most of the last century as a single owner's mochi confection factory before finally hitting the market in August 2022, the first time it had changed hands in more than 50 years. It sat mostly vacant after that, cycling through the shoe store Aquatalia, the restaurant A-Pizza and the clothing shop Mio before those tenants cleared out entirely.
Now it belongs to a group tied to venture capitalist Neil Mehta and his partner Cody Allen, and the plan is to combine all four vacant storefronts into a single restaurant. The building is also working through the city's landmarking process, which means whatever goes in will have to respect a facade that's been protected as historically significant.
The project's financial model
Mehta has described his buying strategy in blunt terms: he's been acquiring Upper Fillmore properties at capitalization rates around 5.25 percent and then re-leasing them to small, independent tenants at roughly 3 percent, covering the tenant improvement costs out of pocket himself. By his own account, that math doesn't work as a straightforward for-profit play, which is part of why he and Allen structured the effort, which they call the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project, as a non-profit rather than a landlord business.
Who's actually showing up
The names moving into these spaces aren't generic. Chef Pim Techamuanvivit, who runs the Michelin-starred Kin Khao downtown and Nari in the Kabuki Hotel, is opening a Thai noodle concept tentatively called Khao Soi Ya in the old Starbucks space at 2222 Fillmore, a location that Starbucks vacated in 2024 after more than 30 years on the street. A few doors down at 2001 Fillmore, chefs Junsoo and Hyunyoung Bae of the Michelin-starred SSAL are opening an upscale Korean barbecue restaurant called Monami.
At the corner of Fillmore and Sutter, in the former Pride of the Mediterranean space, a San Jose-based Korean food truck called Jevikal is building out its first permanent location, known for kimbap and crispy Korean fried chicken. Farther south, Super Duper Burgers has already opened in the old Burger King space at Post, and Tacos El Patrón is set to open at 1325 Fillmore, a spot that's cycled through Black Bark BBQ and Scott's Chowder House in recent years. Owner Alberto Pineda told the New Fillmore there are no taco spots nearby, and this location, his third after Pleasant Hill and the Mission, will be his biggest yet at about 50 seats.
Not everything is arriving. Designer Jonathan Adler closed his longtime home furnishings store at 2133 Fillmore, and Rocksbox shuttered its jewelry shop at 2208 Fillmore less than two years after opening. And one restaurant that looked at risk of getting pushed out entirely, La Méditerranée, extended its lease through 2028 and is reportedly negotiating something longer, according to Omi.
Here's the ledger as it stands this summer:
| Address | Was | Now |
|---|---|---|
| 2035-2047 Fillmore | Aquatalia, A-Pizza, Mio; now vacant | Sold for $8.6M, single restaurant planned |
| 2222 Fillmore | Starbucks, 30+ years | Chef Pim's Khao Soi Ya |
| 2001 Fillmore | — | Monami, Korean BBQ from SSAL's chefs |
| Fillmore & Sutter | Pride of the Mediterranean | Jevikal, Korean comfort food |
| Fillmore & Post | Burger King | Super Duper Burgers, now open |
| 1325 Fillmore | Black Bark BBQ, Scott's Chowder House | Tacos El Patrón, opening soon |
| 2133 Fillmore | Jonathan Adler | Closed |
| 2208 Fillmore | Rocksbox | Closed |
Long-running businesses on Fillmore
Alongside recent property changes, some Fillmore businesses have continued operating. JT Nails at 1848 Fillmore has operated since 1986, and when longtime owner Tina Truong transitioned it to new owners earlier this year, the salon closed only long enough over an extended weekend to repaint and install new equipment before reopening with the same staff and clientele. A few blocks away, clock restorer David Smith still runs Smith Clock Co, where grandfather clocks from the 17th century chime on their own schedule while he diagnoses and repairs timepieces that predate the street itself.
These businesses are part of Fillmore's longstanding commercial life. So far, according to Omi, the merchants association's general sentiment is positive, and the fears of wholesale displacement that circulated when the buying spree started haven't played out the way some expected.
What the summer calendar looked like
If you were around for the Fourth of July, you already know the Fillmore Jazz Festival returned for its annual run on July 4 and 5, spanning 12 blocks from Jackson to Eddy with three stages this year, each honoring a different jazz legend. It remains the largest free jazz festival on the West Coast, and it's the one weekend a year when Fillmore's history as the Harlem of the West gets a physical stage again.
For everyday routines, Alta Plaza Park continues to anchor the west side of the neighborhood. The 12.9 acre park has an off-leash dog area in its southeast corner, three tennis courts, a basketball court and the grand staircase that famously took damage in the filming of "What's Up, Doc?" It's a five minute walk from most of the new restaurant activity on Fillmore, which makes it an easy stop before or after checking out whatever just opened.
What it means if you already live here
This summer brings new restaurant plans alongside businesses that continue to operate on Fillmore Street. How that mix develops over the next year is worth watching.
For now, the anchors are holding. La Méditerranée is staying. JT Nails didn't skip a beat. And the storefronts at 2035-2047 Fillmore, vacant again after cycling through tenants, are finally getting worked on.
If you're keeping an eye on what any of this means for property values or timing on Fillmore Street or elsewhere in Pacific Heights, the team at Level Up Group tracks these micro-shifts block by block. Schedule a consultation whenever you're ready to talk through what it means for your own plans.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
