Good news is coming to Bay Area burger-lovers. Hi-Way Burgers and Fries, the popular burger joint known for serving American classics will be expanding its reach with a brand new restaurant in North Beach.
Currently located in Noe Valley, Hi-Way’s latest location will be opening up at 411 Columbus Avenue, replacing Café Puccini, which previously operated in the space. In 2017, Café Puccini was forced to shut down when a fire razed the building after over 28 years of successful operation, and the building has remained vacant since.
While locals were devastated to say goodbye to Café Puccini, news of Hi-Way’s expansion is a breath of fresh air. After remaining vacant for so long, residents are relieved to see a new business secure the space. Owned and operated by Randy Kaplan, Hi-Way is expected to help revitalize a neighborhood that has been heavily impacted by the recent pandemic.
A veteran restaurateur with over 30 years of experience, Randy is well aware of the history of the neighborhood and is dedicated to ensuring that his new restaurant has a positive impact on the community. Before Hi-Way, Randy previously operated Roadside BBQ with his business partner, Francisco “Pancho” Tornez, who worked with Randy in his earlier restaurant, The Cantina. The two also founded Pancho’s Mexican Grill, one of Jordan Park’s premiere Mexican restaurants.
Randy is very enthusiastic about his new neighborhood and is eagerly awaiting serving all his new customers. He was hesitant to give a specific date for opening as there’s still a lot of construction that needs to be done, but provided everything goes according to plan, he would love to be operational by the end of the year. The new restaurant should be a comparable size to the old one, but with a completely renovated interior. While you wait, consider visiting the original Noe Valley Hi-Way at 3853 24th St to see what everyone has been raving about.
