Charles Chocolate Scales Up, Burger Joint Scales Down (for the Moment)

By Jonathan Kauffman Wed., Aug. 18 2010 at 9:00 AM

Categories: Buzz Machine

The past 24 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco restaurant scene.

Paolo L. of Inside Scoop reports that Charles Chocolates just signed a deal with the Westfield shopping center to open a 5,000-square-foot production facility and retail store on its fourth floor. The pitch: Public chocolate-making as well as chocolates, baked goods, and ice cream for sale. Owner Chuck Siegel will open some part of the new store in November, but is keeping the third-floor retail shop until after Christmas, then moving everything upstairs.

Also via the Scoop: The lower Haight branch of Burger Joint just finished out its 10-year lease and closed. Owner Nidal Nazzal is keeping the Mission, SOMA, Burlinggame, and SFO branches open, and still plans to open a second SFO location in Terminal 2 next spring.

And did you hear that Bar Agricole opened yesterday? Did you? Hunh? Hunh? Just wanted to make sure.

Tasting Table called it first: Absinthe's new chef, Adam Keough, started yesterday. The Beard Award-nominated Keough comes to San Francisco from Michael Mina's Stonehill Tavern in Orange County. Eater SF has posted his first menu.

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