A little over a week after telling the Bay Area Reporter that the end might be close if customers didn't come in full force, the owner of Finn Town in the Castro, Rick Hamer, has announced plans to close at the end of this weekend.

The three-year-old restaurant faced financial problems over the last year, Hamer said, due to a lack of foot-traffic in the neighborhood overall. He further cautioned the BAR, "You'd be surprised how many other places may also close soon."

Posting to Facebook on Tuesday, Hamer says he's immensely grateful for the show of support from friends over the last week, who responded to his call for help. But "major problems in the kitchen really contributed to a less than a wonderful experience and we would like to profusely apologize for that."

Finn Town opened after a significant remodel in 2016 in the space that was formerly home to sushi restaurant Barracuda. The tavern/comfort food concept included a handsome front bar area and craft cocktails, and daily changing specials.

The space will transition, starting after Labor Day, to a pop-up venue and event space, Hamer says. "We have space for professionals looking to do a pop-event and amateur chefs seeking to impress their friends with their cooking abilities in an inviting setting with a full bar (professional help available)." He adds, "We love the Castro and always will — we do not like seeing another empty storefront so will do out best in the interim as a private event space and will try our best to find a good home for Finn Town with a new owner who loves the community as much as we do."

This marks the fifth significant restaurant closure in the neighborhood in the last eight months, following on the closings of Chow, Eureka, Firewood, and Izakaya Sushi Ran. Only the Chow space has come alive again as Cook Shoppe.

Hamer is also a part owner of Papi Rico, a Puerto Vallarta-inspired bar/restaurant on Castro Street that debuted in mid-2018, only to close for a hiatus late in the year, and reopen five months later, this past May.