Last year, many people worried that a restaurant popular with tourists and techies inside the Ferry Building in San Francisco had served its last dish, but now we are confident that it is not. true. As reported by the SF Business Times, The Slanted Door has just signed a new 10-year lease with the Ferry Building which is anchored there until at least 2034. The restaurant landed inside the renovated Ferry Building in 2005 after making its Mission District debut, and it was forced to close in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It still has not reopened, which has fueled rumors that it has been closed for good.

Owner and chef Charles Phan says the reason for the extended shutdown is that the Ferry Building space is about to undergo a major renovation with help from the restaurant’s original architect, Lundberg Design. It should be completed in the summer of next year.

Phan says he planned to renovate the space before the pandemic began, but was struggling to figure out how to do it. “You’re always a little nervous when you change something, like a new hairstyle, a new look. It’s scary and exciting at the same time. But I think the success of our restaurant has been to constantly evolve and innovate, ”Phan told the SF Business Times.

SFist reported in May that Phan’s Slanted Door spinoff restaurant in Pacific Heights, Out the Door, had closed for good after an 11-year run. This closure has left many wondering if The Slanted Door will also be shutting down for good. The award-winning restaurant is one of the Ferry Building’s most lucrative tenants since it moved in. Phan says an Out the Door takeout counter will return in the Ferry Building renovation and open when the restaurant opens.

Before the pandemic, the restaurant had around 250 employees.

Meanwhile, Phan’s other Slanted Door location at City Center Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, which is now a few years old, reopened in May and appears to be thriving. He also plans to open another Slanted Door location in downtown Napa next spring along Soscol Avenue.