SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco champagne bar “The Riddler” is closing after 5 years of business due to the pandemic. Located at 528 Laguna St. in downtown San Francisco, the bar had regular business before the pandemic, and offered a selection of 100 champagne varieties on their menu, as well as small dishes and snacks such as popcorn.
The Riddler announced their closure on Friday, August 21 with the following Instagram post:
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that we will be permanently closing both locations of The Riddler, in San Francisco and the West Village. Our motto at The Riddler is ‘Hello, old friend,’ so you can’t imagine how hard it is for us to say goodbye. When we opened The Riddler five years ago in San Francisco, and last year in the West Village, we wanted to create spaces where guests felt like they were settling in at a place they’ve always loved. Thank you for welcoming us into your lives, for celebrating your special occasions at our lunch tables, for clinking glasses at our bar. We miss you all so much, and we’re devastated to close.”
In another Instagram post, the business explained the cause for their closure, mostly because of a heavy financial burden that the business accumulated over the pandemic: “Unfortunately, even with an incredible support system, we realized we were losing more than we could sustain any longer, and we simply couldn’t make it work,” the message on Instagram read.
On Instagram, The Riddler also announced that they will be selling discounted champagne bottles to customers, which can be ordered off of their website. In the fall they will be auctioning off their interior decor items, such as tables, champagne buckets, furniture, art pieces, and lighting.
“Thank you to everyone who made this dream a reality, especially to the best team in the world,” concluded the farewell message.
