Adeus e Obrigado

Roughly 10 years ago, I took a leap of faith and set out on a mission to follow my long time dream of opening a Portuguese restaurant in the city I loved, San Francisco.

Everything about the subsequent journey has been incredibly rewarding and simultaneously immensely humbling. From putting together a business plan, executing a series of pop-ups all over different venues in this city, to finding a space, to the build out, to opening our doors to the public in January of 2017, all made possible by the incredible support and encouragement of so many people along the way. People that owed me nothing, had no obligation to help me on my journey, and in most cases had nothing to gain but to help me chase my dream and try to bring my vision to life. They are too many to name, but you know who you are, and I’m eternally grateful.

And just like all things have a beginning, sadly this particular journey is coming to an end. The last day of Uma Casa Portuguese restaurant will be on Saturday March 29th.

Believe me when I say that during these 8+ years, I’ve literally put blood, sweat, and tears into making Uma Casa the restaurant that it has been. Is it perfect ? No. But neither am I or are most of the things and people that we love in this life, and it’s those quirks and imperfections that make them unique and a special part of our lives, and I’m very proud of everything we’ve accomplished along this incredible journey.

I won’t get into the sob story or blame game, or redundant details and circumstances around having to close the restaurant, as they are all too familiar and common place these days in San Francisco and beyond, but I will say that each step of the way we fought like heck and tried our best to consistently show up, to adapt and adjust without compromising or sacrificing the culture, vision and privilege of being San Francisco’s only Portuguese restaurant.

Additionally, and I mean this with all of my heart…any and all of this was only ever made possible because of the dedication and commitment of our incredible team, past and present. We’ve had some of the most talented, and incredible human beings making the restaurant what it’s been, not just through their work, but with their collective energy and spirit.

Lastly…Obrigado to all of you that are reading this. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been an integral part of making someone’s dream come true and that is something that I’m grateful for and I hope that you cherish the fact that you have the ability to positively impact people’s lives, and make this city and this world a better place. You should be proud!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I’d love for the next 3 weeks to be one huge party, an opportunity to eat your favorite dish one (or two…) more time, to enjoy your favorite wine or cocktail before its departure, and most importantly to see a familiar face again while we’re around. Let’s celebrate this little Portuguese restaurant that was built by a village.

Adeus and Obrigado

- Telmo, Jessi, Rocky, and the Uma Casa family.