While foodinistas are going to be mourning the loss of Bar Jules for the next few weeks, fans of corporate Tex-Mex will be mourning another loss: the closing of Chevy's in SoMa. It is the last of what used to four Chevy's Fresh Mex locaions in the city proper, as Inside Scoop reports, and in the last few years all but this one shuttered. And this last one, at 201 Third Street, called it quits on Friday.
Chevy's lovers will remember that there used to be other locations in the Embarcadero Center and on Van Ness, as well as one at the Stonestown Mall. Chevy's appears to be falling victim to the same national trend that has affected many sit-down chains in the last few years as the country's eating habits slowly change. (And multiple chains, including Ruby Tuesdays and Marie Callenders, reported slumps in business during the Great Recession.)
Chevy's parent company Real Mex emerged from bankruptcy just two years ago after seeing a heavy decline in revenue between 2008 and 2010. As the Sacramento Bee reported last year following the abrupt closure of a 25-year-old Chevy's location in Sacramento, the company took on some new private equity partners and looks to be preparing for a brand reboot.
For now, if you need a Beach Peach Margarita and some mix-and-match mesquite grilled fajitas, you will need to trek to South San Francisco.