The gorgeous waterfront property that formerly housed Salute e Vita Ristorante is set to feature new restaurant Cheers by the Bay.
Lara Choe, owner of Hotel Mac Restaurant in Point Richmond, aims to open a new full-service restaurant called Cheers by the Bay at 1900 Esplanade Ave. in the Marina Bay neighborhood, according to city documents. On Thursday, the Richmond Planning Commission approved the required conditional use permit to allow the new restaurant to serve alcohol at the site.
Cheers by the Bay will feature a remodeled kitchen and has been approved to operate from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. If you’re interested in the type of food they’ll serve, see below this story for sample menus that were shared in the planning documents. There appears to be Hotel Mac influence, with the sample menus listing items such as Hotel Mac Famous Fish Tacos, The Mac Salad, and The Mac Club among the list of menu items.
The restaurant would employ about 35 part-time and full-time employees and seat up to 192 guests, including outdoor seating and bar areas. Outdoor seating on the southwest side of the building will be limited to four tables and 20 guests and will close at 8 p.m., the city documents state.
The property has vacant since July 2018, when Salute e Vita Ristorante served its last meal. The community mourned the loss of Salute, in part for its tradition of serving Italian fine dining on the waterfront, but perhaps more so because its owner, Menbere Aklilu, used the restaurant as a launching pad for good deeds in the community, including an annual Thanksgiving feast serving folks in need. Aklilu closed the restaurant as the result of a long-running dispute with the property’s owner.
