Southern California chain Lemonade shut its last Bay Area location at San Francisco’s Metreon mall last week, concluding its Northern California operations. The restaurant closed on Thursday, and a chain was left on the front door. The restaurant was also removed by the company from the Metreon’s online directory.
A Lemonade spokesperson confirmed that the closure happened late last month. The chain no longer operates any Northern California stores and plans to eventually close all 22 remaining California locations, transitioning into a ghost kitchen model operating out of its sister restaurant, Mimi’s Café, which has Northern California locations in Fairfield, Elk Grove, and Modesto. The transition began on October 1, though exact dates for other closures haven’t been shared.
“Would love to return soon,” the rep told SFGATE.
A brief history in the bay area
Lemonade first opened in San Francisco in Metreon in May of 2016. It debuted across the Bay Area in 2016 with locations in Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, and Burlingame. Two additional San Francisco locations then followed in Inner Sunset and West Portal.
Although its cafeteria-like atmosphere and nutritious options were praised, some of its locations failed to stay open. Its Inner Sunset location shut down in 2019 and was later replaced by Luke’s Local in May 2025. Its Palo Alto and Walnut Creek locations permanently shut down in 2021, and its West Portal location shut down in 2024. It is unknown if the Burlingame location shut down or not.
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What’s next for lemonade
As Lemonade shifts to a ghost kitchen model, the company plans to continue serving its seasonal menu of salads, sandwiches, and bowls, now prepared from Mimi’s Café kitchens.
This transition reflects a larger trend in the restaurant industry, where some chains are moving away from physical locations to delivery-only or ghost kitchen models to cut costs and reach more customers.
