Historic Ghirardelli attracts new owners- (selling Ghiradelli!)

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/20/04 | Dan Levy

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Ghirardelli Square, the famed former chocolate factory at Fisherman's Wharf that has become one of the best-known icons of San Francisco, is being sold for about $38 million, The Chronicle has learned.

JMA Properties, a Los Altos real estate investment group, will buy the 111-year-old property, which is now a retail and office center, from longtime owner Capital & Counties USA.

[P-Marlowe]

Why is this breaking news?

[CholeraJoe]

I had dinner once at that restaurant. Great crab cocktail.

I'm having trouble figuring out why this is Breaking News, though.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Because it's an extremely famous landmark dear.

[Carry_Okie]

I loved that place. I once made a similar effort in Oakland to preserve Market Street Pier, but to no avail. Now it's all containers. No vision.

[dogbyte12]

There is a belgian fry place there I recommend to anybody visiting the city. The belgians actually invented the french fry, and these fries are spectacular, with a few dozen dipping sauces to go with them, along with a good selection of belgian beers. Sadly, can't eat those now on Atkins, but if I ever did want to cheat, I'd head up there for the Belgian Pomme Frites.

[dakine]

I want a piece of that action...I remember when Pebble Beach was bought back from the Japanese, made a killing on that deal (not me, the investors)...

[AlbertWang]

A friend of mine contracted Ghirardelli from bad water in Mexico.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

We still go to Ghirardelli to get ice cream. And wait in line. We love that place. Interesting what it said about the upper floors. It does seem that there's a dearth of tenants up there.

[Carry_Okie]

Remember the Bratskellar?

[Age of Reason]

Nightmare living at its best.

What an ugly looking place.

And how crowded can you get.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Do you remember the name of it? Is it in Ghirardelli itself or in the area?

Carrie, maybe you know the name of the Belgian fry place. Sounds like something I'd love to try! (And walk all the home afterwards of course).

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Rathskellar? Yes, and now it's the California Culinary Academy :)

It's definitely risen above that old police scandal from the Rathskellar :)

Kneel goes to that school, the CCA.

[EggsAckley]

From his humble beginning in the Gold Rush boom town of Hornitos, Ghirardelli was a true American success story.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Actually it's beautiful. It's an old factory (Ghirardelli) which is converted into shops etc. It's very popular. The read is all brick and super clean. The views from the restaurants out into the bay are amazing. There's a park below that many people go to :)

[I_Love_My_Husband]

They have the best chocolate ice cream, and sundaes etc.

Mmmm!

[EggsAckley]

Have you ever been to Hornitos? It's a fascinating ghost town with a tremendous history. Pancho Villa, gold miners, Ghirardelli, underground escape tunnels.......fun place to visit, but not in the dead of summer. Get's very hot there.

[CholeraJoe]

A friend of mine contracted Ghirardelli from bad water in Mexico.

Heck, you can get that from the Missouri River right here. The beavers carry it.

[Carry_Okie]

Rathskellar? Yes, and now it's the California Culinary Academy :)

That's it (fading memory, it was 30 years ago).

It's definitely risen above that old police scandal from the Rathskellar :)

LOL. I remember that too.

My favorite place down there is still the Maritime Museum. I've worked on a few of those boats. It was a bit of a shock to see the wheelhouse of George Shima there (makes me wonder what Fred did to the rest of it). It's nice to see how they're taking care of Hercules, a testament to John Seaborn was maybe the greatest tugboat handler of all time. Old Man Crowley should have been shot for what he did to some of his old tugs.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

You know there's a submarine down at Pier 39 or Ghir. somewhere? We were on it, very interesting!