A longtime Bay Area restaurant operator is shutting down every one of its eateries and cutting hundreds of jobs in a sweeping collapse that will leave seven popular dining spots dark.
Vine Hospitality, a 32-year-old hospitality group known for its LB Steak and Left Bank Brasserie brands, announced that all of its restaurants are closing, according to notices posted across the businesses’ social media accounts.
The sudden shutdown affects seven locations across the region, including two LB Steak restaurants and four Left Bank concepts, along with the company’s lone Mediterranean venture.
Among the closures are LB Steak at Bishop Ranch City Center in San Ramon, which closed Monday, and LB Steak at Santana Row in San Jose, which is set to close Wednesday.
Three Left Bank restaurants are also closing their doors: the Santana Row location on Tuesday, the Menlo Park outpost on Tuesday, and the Larkspur restaurant on Wednesday.
Petite Left Bank in Tiburon ceased operations Monday.
Meso Modern Mediterranean, the group’s newest concept that opened at Santana Row in 2024, also shut down on Monday, according to its Instagram page.
The farewell messages shared online followed a similar format across the restaurant brands.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our LB Steak restaurants will be closing,” one post read.
The statement thanked patrons for marking special occasions at the restaurants and praised employees for their dedication and hard work over the years.
Management informed workers of the closures and resulting layoffs Monday morning, the Mercury News reported after speaking with managers at three restaurant locations.
According to a WARN notice, 365 employees are losing their jobs.
CEO Alistair Levine told the San Francisco Chronicle that the company was unable to overcome mounting challenges in the post-pandemic restaurant industry.
He pointed to rising food costs, particularly beef and tomatoes, and said the company also failed to secure financing tied to plans for two San Francisco restaurants that ultimately never opened.
Levine told the outlet that all affected workers will receive their earned wages and accrued vacation pay.