21Jan

End of Millennium

A Facebook announcement today heralds the closure of one of the most celebrated vegan restaurants on the planet.

The highly-regarded Millennium of San Francisco will cease trading on April 30th, 2015. In a statement on their Facebook profile, owners Larry and Ann Wheat advised their devoted followers of their decision to retire from the restaurant business following the termination of their lease. If Muriel’s Wedding taught us anything (it taught us plenty BTW), it schooled us in the knowledge that you can’t stop progress.

The new owners of the hotel housing Millennium have refurbishment plans that do not include one of the most celebrated meat free establishments in the world.

In part, Larry and Ann say:

After more than 20 years in business, and with the end of our lease, we will serve our last meal as Millennium at 580 Geary St on April 30, 2015. We are so grateful to our co-workers, family, farmers & friends who have made the experience of running this restaurant unforgettable.

Millennium’s head chef and general manager will be announcing plans to keep their partnership alive with a new venture which you can read more about via the Facebook statement here.

I’d like to share two Millennium memories before leaving this story.

My father-in-law took us all out to dinner. Somehow Josh and I had found ourselves in the Bay Area at the same time as his father, stepmother, sister, brother and sister-in-law and his father Pete decided to treat us all to an incredibly expensive (and tasty) round table meal at Millennium.

Memory two happened a few years later. Josh and I were stumbling around the Tenderloin, drinking our way from dive bar to dive-ier bar. Our inebriated sensibilities told us we needed food and drink in Millennium. At first the staff told us we were too late to be served, but a few drunken puppy dog eyes got us a seat at the bar. I recall many world class bar snacks being ordered and outstanding cocktails washing them down.

Goodbye Millennium.

Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for the immeasurable contribution you have made to raising the standard of vegan cuisine. Endless thanks for saving countless lives with your cleverly compassionate restaurant.