Landmark Hillcrest Restaurant Closing

City Delicatessen won't be open after July 31

A cornerstone Hillcrest restaurant is closing its doors for good Wednesday night.

City Delicatessen, located on the corner of Sixth and University avenues, will shut down after July 31. Its brightly colored sign and presence near the Hillcrest sign have made it a landmark in the eclectic neighborhood.

Owners and original founder Michael Wright and Allen Bilmes have been running it for 30 years have sold the restaurant so they can retire.

More than 150 people showed up at City Deli on Tuesday to attend a presentation ceremony thanking Wright and Bilmes for their hard work in the community. Local leaders, including Todd Gloria and Toni Atkins, also wished the pair well in their retirement.

The restaurant’s new owners plan to transform the eatery and pay tribute to one of the leaders in the LGBT community, calling it “Harvey Milk’s American Diner.”

Harvey Milk Street is located in Hillcrest
off University Avenue. Milk was one of the first openly gay politicians to hold public office when elected to the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco in 1977.

Contact Us