Lazy Bear alum closes SF restaurant Automat

Automat, known for its stylish rendition of comfort foods, is slated to close its doors almost two years after opening.

The San Francisco cafe and restaurant by former Lazy Bear sous-chef Matt Kirk is scheduled to shutter Aug. 27 after struggling to keep the business financially afloat, according to a goodbye message posted on the Automat website.

“It has been tough to operate a casual restaurant in San Francisco that is sustainable for its employees, affordable for its customers, puts out high-end food made from scratch, but also works financially,” the message on the business’ website read in part. “In the two years we’ve been open, we were not able to find that balance. So Automat is closing.”

David Barzelay, chef-owner of Lazy Bear and Kirk’s partner at Automat, told SFGATE that the restaurant had struggled to find its footing since opening in November 2021. Part of the problem was the menu that often featured “labor-intensive foods” on its breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Barzelay said that it was challenging to stay afloat in an expensive city like San Francisco based on the prices they were charging.

“We did everything in-house to a ridiculous degree. … It was nowhere near fully covering the cost of making food in San Francisco,” Barzelay said.

Eventually, the partners considered revising the concept, but ultimately, they decided to sell the space. Barzelay said that they received an offer that “made sense,” but he declined to share what will take up the Automat space when it closes.

Automat opened its doors in the fall of 2021 at 1801 McAllister St. after first launching as a pop-up. A customer favorite was the Automat breakfast sandwich made with sausage, cheese and eggs stacked between “Wondermat loaf” bread. There was also a crispy fried chicken sandwich prepared with chile maple crunch, milk bread and seaweed aioli. An in-house bakery also offered fresh bread by the slice or loaf.

“I think in the city there’s a hole, or not a lot of places you can go to get good food that you’re able to bring your kids to, so that’s where we’re hoping to be,” Kirk said in an interview with Eater SF in 2021.

Barzelay said that he’s unsure he’ll operate another casual restaurant in San Francisco but hinted that Automat could eventually make a comeback.

“Matt is sticking with Automat, and he has plans to do something in the future whether it’s doing a pop-up format or opening in another neighborhood,” Barzelay said.