Fans of Tenderloin greasy spoon cuisine and ambiance are losing another legend this weekend, though the little institution swears they’ll reopen at another nearby location. The Lafayette Coffee Shop at the intersection of Hyde and Eddy Streets has been issued a 30-day notice, according to Hoodline, and Sunday will be their final day at that location. Owners Stanley and Stefanie Yang have a real estate agent and are actively scouting for new locations in the ‘Loin, but the current site of the restaurant — and the old-school adorbs neon sign that adorns their storefront — will be kaput as of closing time Sunday night (10 p.m.).
“This is a terrible loss to our community as it's one of the oldest establishments, if not the oldest in the Tenderloin,” Tenderloin Economic Development Project executive director Anh Nguyen told Hoodline. “This establishment is the most beautiful example of a wonderful marriage between the immigrant working community and our low-income residents, who are providing a great service at incredibly affordable prices with dignity and respect. This will absolutely be the biggest blow if we lose this business.”
The Yangs insist the Tenderloin will not lose the business, and plan to be open again at a new location in the next two months. Co-owner Stanley Yang tells Hoodline that the new future incarnation of Lafayette Coffee Shop will have “the same look, the same style. We try to keep the old school '60s, '70s ... that kind of atmosphere going on. People like that stuff.”
In an unrelated development, the cafe does have a “Poor Safety Food Score” according to Yelp. “Following a recent inspection, this facility received a food safety rating that is in the bottom 5% locally, and is categorized by inspectors as ‘poor’,” according to a pop-up alert that appears on the customer review site.
While the mashed potato, gravy and corn magic of Lafayette Coffee Shop figures to be available again someday soon at a new locale, it's curtains for the diner’s retro-throwback neon sign. The sign is apparently no longer consistent with city regulations and cannot be erected again after it’s taken down.