History has a way of repeating itself—which is great news for fans of San Francisco's dining history. The historic hillside restaurant Julius' Castle closed its doors in 2007, and while rumors of a possible reopening have popped up over the years, none of them ever seemed to come to fruition—until now.
In its heyday, Julius' was an old school city hotspot. Named for restaurateur Julius Roz, the building was constructed between 1923 and 1928. Roz ran the business until he died in 1943, and then several different owners took it over. According to longtime owner Jeffrey Pollack, Julius' was a local go-to for celebrities and politicians including Sean Connery, Sir Edmund Hillary, Ginger Rogers, Carrie Fisher and a regular table was always set aside for the Mayor of San Francisco.
The property's current owner, Paul Scott, purchased the building in 2012 and only just received permission from the San Francisco Planning Commission to begin renovations. This official green-light means that the once great and visually quirky Julius' Castle might one day welcome guests again.
"I'm not looking for a tectonic change in how the food is offered there. Pretty traditional and nothing that is going to be a surprise to anyone in the neighborhood," Scott explained at the city hearing. "I’m not a big time developer. I’m a guy who lives in the neighborhood near Julius’ Castle. I picked up the building because it had been sitting there and had been falling in disrepair … and has the potential to become a beautiful building again."
Some neighbors are worried about the noise a restaurant might bring, but the commission wasn't swayed. “We are not living in the suburbs where everything has to be quiet 24/7. This is the reactivation of something that has been here longer than any of us have been alive,” said Commissioner Kathrin Moore.
According to Scott, he's already getting inquiries from restaurateurs interested in operating a revamped Julius'.
h/t: Hoodline
Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.