In January 2020, Vogue revealed plans that Lazy Bear’s David Barzelay and Matthew Kirk were teaming up to open a brand new restaurant called Automat at 1801 McAllister St. It was slated to open in the fall or winter of 2020, but the unprecedented outbreak of Covid-19 evidently put a significant delay in those plans.
Since last January though, no word has been given on the future plans for Automat. While it continued to operate during the pandemic as a pop-up and delivery service at 846 Geary Street, the McAllister Street location remained silent.
Now, a liquor license application uncovered by What Now San Francisco reveals that Matthew and David are gearing up to finally open the McAllister location. This will be Automat’s first permeant home and has been long awaited by fans.
Automat co-owner Matthew Kirk first met David Barzelay working as a sous chef at Lazy Bear. David, who is the head chef (and has two Michelin stars) and owner of Lazy Bear, worked well with Matt and the two quickly hit it off. Soon, they agreed to team up and start a brand new venture together – Automat.
Matthew and David envisioned Automat as a New American restaurant that would feature gourmet takes on American classics like fried chicken sandwiches and cheeseburgers. The Automat is also famous for the specialty bread boxes it offers at its pop-ups. Once a month they deliver their custom breads to customers across San Francisco.
Automat’s new location, its first full brick-and-mortar store, will replacing the Green Chile Kitchen, which closed back in 2019. While Matthew and David couldn’t be reached for comment, it’s clear that Automat is getting ready to break its long silence. While you wait, check out Automat’s Instagram for more updates and access to their bread box delivery.
