Restaurant Realty Company recently participated in selling Sears Fine Foods, a 68 year old San Francisco Institution to Man J. Kim, a successful restaurateur. Man J. started his restaurant career with Al’s Country Steakburger as a night manager while he was attending the University of San Francisco. Since then he has owned over 24 restaurants and currently owns in San Francisco 5 Lori’s Diners, a 50’s style diner, and a Japanese restaurant. In addition he has under construction the Sears remodel and 2 additional Lori’s Diners in the North and South Terminals of the SF Airport. Man J. helps small businessmen get started in business in addition to planning to expand his restaurant empire to other airports in the county.
Man J. is totally remodeling Sears, restoring its original Victorian turn of the century motif which will reopen in June. The new Sears will expand its breakfast and lunch format to include dinner featuring fresh local seafood and operating daily from 6:30am to 10pm.
Sears was founded in 1938 by Hilbur and Ben Sears. Ben, a retired circus clown, built a reputation for serving Swedish pancakes made from a recipe inherited from his wife’s Swedish family. By the early 50’s, Sears was purchased by Mrs. Quita Benner who kept the name and menu in tact. Her son-in-law, Al Boyajian moved the restaurant from its original spot on the 500 block of Powell Street to 439 Powell Street, a larger facility which they purchased in 1964.
We send best wishes to Man J Kim for continued success and in carrying on the Sears tradition of producing 11,000 little pancakes a day.
