Here in the 925, we love our restaurants. And although several exiting new places opened this year, we also lost some classics.
Several of these hurt, as they were open for years or decades.
Here are 5 restaurants we sadly lost in 2025.
1) Walnut Creek: Walnut Creek Yacht Club
The longtime seafood spot at 1555 Bonanza Street closed May 7, 2025, ending a nearly 29-year run in one of Walnut Creek’s most recognizable restaurant locations.
Thankfully, it closed for good reasons–the owners retired, amid a bevy of nautical puns announcing the closing!
The other good news: the space is already in motion. An ABC license filing points to a new full-service restaurant concept (listed as “Stillwater Inc.”) in development for the address.
2) Walnut Creek: Skipolini’s Pizza & Pasta
Yeah, the arcade was showing its age. But it was still an awesome spot to bring the family.
This year, people showed up to the Walnut Creek location at 1535 Giammona Dr. and found the lights off and a letter taped to the window.
The notice (signed by owner-president Kent A. Ipsen) thanked customers for 25 years, confirmed the sale of the building, and said the family-run company is pursuing an opportunity in Sausalito — while still leaving the door open to return to Walnut Creek in the future.
(Our coverage: An Iconic Walnut Creek Pizza Restaurant is Closing After 25 Years)
3) San Ramon: C Casa at City Center Bishop Ranch
I really liked the duck tacos at this San Ramon taco spot. This year, though, the San Ramon location shut down suddenly, and the closures appeared to extend to other Bay Area outposts as well.
Around the same time, the U.S. Department of Labor announced penalties tied to a C Casa operator in Napa, describing child labor violations as “reckless” and detailing findings involving minors working outside permitted hours and operating hazardous equipment. (It was not clear whether those issues directly caused the broader wave of closures.)
4) Blackhawk (Danville area): The Grille at Blackhawk
Blackhawk Plaza is a very cool outdoor shopping center, but closures have hit hard recently. The Grille was part of the routine for a lot of families (especially with that duck pond view). This year, the restaurant officially shut down.
We did not have a confirmed explanation for the closure at the time, but it added to a run of notable restaurant changes in the Danville/Blackhawk orbit.
(Our coverage: A Classic Blackhawk Restaurant Has Sadly Closed)
5) Pleasanton: Main Street Brewery
Downtown Pleasanton is full of “third places” — and Main Street Brewery was one of the big ones. The venue at 830 Main St. announced it would close after 30 years, with the owners framing it as a personal transition.
(Our coverage: Pleasanton’s Main Street Brewery To Pour Its Last Pint This Weekend After 30 Years)
Honorable mentions
- Opa! (Walnut Creek): The longtime Greek favorite at 1532 N. Main St. closed this spring, but the storefront flipped quickly into a new concept.
- Mr. Green Bubble (Walnut Creek): A Locust Street staple announced a November closure, with another boba brand lined up to take over the space.
We got the scoop on several of these closures–and exciting new openings, like Stillwater. Join our free 925 News newsletter so we can share these scoops with you the second we report on them.
