It’s no exaggeration to say that Marlena, the affordable fixed-price restaurant on the side of a hill in Bernal Heights, has been one of San Francisco’s culinary breakthrough stars for the past three years. The restaurant relocated to the former premises of the Hillside Supper Club in August 2020, a time we now remember as the peak of the pandemic, and served sandwiches to go before plunging a foot into indoor dining in November – only to along with every other restaurant in the city to be closed due to a surge in COVID cases. Throughout the spring, the restaurant reopened for al fresco dining and then indoors before being awarded a coveted Michelin star in autumn 2021.
All along, husband-and-wife chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher have been at the helm, even naming the company in honor of David’s late mother. Together with Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group’s Ryan Cole, they guided the restaurant through the turmoil of the pandemic, then closed for renovations last summer before moving again in the fall.
In short: It was a wild rollercoaster ride and an undeniable success. But on Friday, June 30, the Fishers say they want out.
The couple confirmed to Eater SF on Friday that they were splitting from Marlena effective immediately, announcing the fact in an Instagram post on Friday night. “It’s just becoming something that we don’t want to be a part of anymore,” David said in a recent conversation with Eater SF.
Although the couple have been the faces of the acclaimed restaurant for three years, they explain that they don’t own the company; According to the restaurant’s liquor license, the owner is Bouillon LLC, which is managed by Stephane Roulland, who is also listed as CEO. According to the Fishers, their relationship with the owner has deteriorated to the point where they are unable to continue working at the restaurant. In the post, they give “a conflict with the owner of Marlena about different ideas of hospitality and integrity” as the reason for the departure. Eater SF has reached out to Roulland and will update if we hear anything.
It’s uncertain whether Marlena will remain open without the chef couple who have earned the restaurant a spot in the Michelin Guide. In August 2021, the Guide praised how the couple “creates both the savory and sweet side of things” with “precise technique and subtle yet imaginative use of ingredients.”
As previously reported, the Fishers and Cole are already working on a new restaurant that will take over the premises of the former Gardenia’s at 1963 Sutter Street. The spirits license lists the company name as 7 Adams, but the trio tell Eater SF the vision for the restaurant is still taking shape. Cole, who was hired as a consultant during Marlena’s early days, hasn’t been part of the restaurant team since April.
This is an evolving story and Eater SF will be updated as more details become available.
Sign up for the newsletter
Eater SF
