The 14-year-old Gracias Madre, at 2211 Mission St. just south of 18th Street, served its last vegan plato Sunday evening, becoming another victim of the pandemic.
By Monday morning, workers at the restaurant known for its plant-based Mexican food were carting leased kitchen equipment out to Mission Street to be picked up. Inside, Mexican music played as workers stacked up unused paper items and disassembled a coffee machine behind the counter. A young boy who declined to talk sat in a chair, looking forlorn and holding a dog on its leash.
“The economy of the city; the money is just not there,” said Joseph Donohue, the general manager.
Gracias Madre, Donohue said, “was making all kinds of money” pre-Covid-19, but it never regained its footing. There would be great weeks, and then nothing, he said, describing business post covid as a “roller coaster.”
When he arrived three years ago, the restaurant had 40 employees, but by Sunday, it was down to four. The business, he said, was so poor that when workers left, he felt no need to replace them. Already, most had been cut back to four days a week.
“Tourism is back in some places,” Donohue said, but on his section of Mission Street, south of 18th Street, “the city failed to pay much attention.”
Look at this, he added, taking a reporter out to the sidewalk to show where a string of street lights the city had put up along Mission Street stopped on the other side of 18th Street. “It doesn’t make any sense to any of us,” he said.
Businesses along the Mission commercial corridor felt short-changed when they looked at efforts on nearby Valencia Street, he said.
Owners Matthew and Terces Englehart opened Gracias Madre in the Mission in late 2009. The Engleharts also owned Cafe Gratitude at Harrison and 20th streets, which they closed in 2014. The Engleharts considered business and spirituality one, and encouraged employees to attend Landmark Forum self-help events.
The chain appeared to flourish. With the Mission location closing, Gracias Madre will still have restaurants in Newport Beach and West Hollywood. Cafe Gratitude has locations in Larchmont, Newport and Venice.
In a message to employees, the Engleharts thanked employees and added, “We are really sad to announce that we can no longer continue this celebration. The economic conditions in the city make it impossible.”
Donohue said it would take up to six months to take down the restaurant and sell the lease and the liquor license to another establishment.
Eleni Balakrishnan contributed to this report.
Landmark Forum is a coercive cult. I’ve lost a few friends to it, and they in turn lost most of their money. So if Gracias Madre was essentially pushing its employees into , I have gratitude that it’s gone.
Yup, the owners are truly awful, manipulative people. I used to live above cafe gratitude and lived with several of their employees, people who were making sub living wages would be pressured to attend ridiculous Landmark classes that cost hundreds.
You’re very cruel. Jobs were lost
I just want to say that this statement makes you a very bad person and you don’t know what great employees who work there and put their time and energy to make it a great place. Jobs were lost to be considerate, and not a bully.
“Businesses along the Mission commercial corridor felt short-changed when they looked at efforts on nearby Valencia Street, he said. ”
This is because Calle 24 (amongst others) claims to own Mission Street, per their own self-reported “study”. They aggressively block/threaten commercial business owners, or influence allies on the BOS to ensure that Mission Street does not improve. Every shuttered storefront or blocked construction is an opportunity to be granted the property at below-market price, like 2205 Mission Street (at 18th), now vacant for *13 years*.
2018: https://missionlocal.org/2018/10/laundre-owner-shaken-after-private-meeting-with-mission-community-groups/
2019: https://missionlocal.org/2019/08/laundres-cafe-shutters-but-you-can-still-wash-your-fashion/
2020: https://missionlocal.org/2020/01/overwhelming-support-for-latino-cultural-district-on-mission-street-study-finds/
The last time I was there two years ago, a single waitress was running – RUNNING – between tables doing EVERYTHING. It was awful. I gave her $5 and left. It was hard to watch. There was no staff! That was two years ago. Clearly things have not been going well.
Yes. Welcome back from post pandemic. You saw that in every establishment. How generous and nice (rude) of you to leave a remark like that.
What a tip! You could have added a zero to that 5. That seems a little cruel.
A lunch for me and my date at Gracias Madre cost us $90.
A better Mexican plate nearby from Gallardo’s at 18th & Shotwell costs less than half that much.
LOVE Gallardo’s!
I was no fan of Gracias Madre and, yeah, that’s expensive, but that’s a strange comparison. Gracias Madre was a *vegan* restaurant. If you want vegan food, Gallardo’s is no substitute.
It was just ok, no reason to go back. And the Landmark thing is a turnoff as well.
Gracias Madre has always been a gimmicky concept. With real Mexican food in the mission and healthy options, it’s no wonder they didn’t survive. They just used the mission district to launch like peets then turned their back on th community. It happens. Also they had outrageous prices and mediocre vegan food. Weho vegans are a different audience that Sam Francisco vegans. iykyk people never went there to actually eat, they went there to for likes and social clout.
No offense but I’d stopped going long before covid.
I felt like Gracias Madre was play like Mexican food for Bolillos who didn’t really like Mexican food. With all the authentic in the neighborhood, I figured only a fool would eat there.
Honestly? I can’t say I’m surprised that this place is shutting down. Their prices were astronomical for what was on the plate. The ambiance and setting? A far cry from the great WeHo location. Add in the inconsistent service – some days you’d be lucky to get a water refilled at all – and dishes that were more miss than hit, and you’d wonder why anyone recommended it in the first place. With so many stellar dining options in the city, it’s a relief we can move past this overhyped spot. Good riddance.
This is a very press-releasey article. Members of the vegan community have recognized for awhile that this is very low effort vegan food (“colorful cardboard”) and that there are now a number of (better) vegan alternatives
I’m saddened Gracias Madre closed, the Engelharts are exceptional humans dedicated to assisting people & sketchy neighborhoods to rebound into a life of Spirituality, this is a tragic loss to all concerned, except those who desire to continue living in fear & Spiritual desolation.
To Natalie, wherever you may be,
You hosted a tasting of mezcal & tequila at Gracias Madre a few years ago. Introduced me and my wife to Banho Mezcal Artesenal. It became– and remains– a favorite. For that, just wanted to say “Thank you!” iSalud y Bueno suerte!
Overpriced and not very tasty food. Plus it’s in a very sketchy part of Mission Street. The interior atmosphere is nice though.
“It is impossible to succeed here. Wanna buy our lease?!”
Well they can’t be blamed for not making full disclosure…
A terrible loss. San Francisco without Gracias Madre seems almost unthinkable. Grateful for their consistent presence in the neighborhood over the years, and glad I’d been back recently.
I was at Melrose location in WeHo last June. My dish was divine. Mission Gracias Madre would have done well if it was in other location in SF instead. It’s sad to see it gone indeed.
WeHo: Ah,West Hollywood. Got it.
“WeHo”?
Have you considered a Marin location? We loved Gracias Madre! But we rarely go to S.F. anymore because we’re afraid of crime.
And I’m afraid of driving up to Marin because of the racism.
Touché!