After a little over one year in business, Harvey Milk’s American Diner has closed its doors. Owners Frank Lechner and Big Mike Phillips indicated that the organization would be closing for three days to restructure. It is unclear as to whether the organization will reopen as Harvey Milk’s, be sold to another organization, or reopen as another restuarant.
In August of 2013, Harvey Milk’s opened with much anticipation in the location that was formerly City Deli, a Hillcrest icon. Soon after opening, the restaurant closed to do a remodel of the facility. At the grand reopening, the owners were proud of the new, retro trendy atmosphere of the restaurant and were looking forward to serving the diverse customers within the Hillcrest neighborhood.
Harvey Milk’s is yet another restaurant in Hillcrest to close its doors. In the last three years, over 70 restaurants have closed in the area. Just two weeks ago, Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria on Fifth Avenue between Washington and University also closed.
What the helll say it ain’t so joe
not surprising.
Where will Log Cabin Republicans gather now ?
And where will Nicole eat for free?
At Carl DeMaio’s house!
You depended on just the GLBT business and hosted too many events that were not events… You depended on Stuart Milk, and his foundation will sell his Uncle’s name to anyone for a price!
Sad. Now there is a failed for-profit venture linked to Harvey’s name. Never understood why anyone would think it was ok to profit personally off of Harvey’s name and image. Harvey deserves better than that.
Couldn’t agree more, fsinsd. The owners have no class. Using Mr. Milk’s name was a disgrace and is why I and many of my friends never graced the doors of the Diner. Good riddance.
I have been in the front lines of the gay rights movement for over 40 years. I was a friend of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone. Long before the WWW, I was able to get United Press International and Associated Press to do positive gay theme stories long before it was fashionable to be openly gay,even in San Francisco. My images have been seen in books, magazines,and exhibits. However, if you add up the money I made in that time it would be less then a thousand dollars. I have never sold an Image of Harvey,however have made them available for non-profits for fund raisers and exhibits. Frankly, I was disappointed that there were so many in San Diego,mostly identified with Stuart Milk’s foundation that wanted to name Airports,a battleship and licensed out Harvey’s name. Harvey has been honored with a holiday,however I honestly believe that Mayor Moscone should of shared the name of that holiday. He was elected 2 years before Harvey and very open with his support of gay events before,and during his time at City Hall. My image of Harvey, is a footnote in gay history but somehow overlooked in the film MILK. Please read the history of my image. It was written 2 years before the MILK movie. At the same time look at that website… http://www.thecastro.net/ it is not a recreation of history ,but by the pioneers in the gay rights movement. I’m proud to have been there, and documented much of that era. My image of Harvey with a bullhorn introduced Harvey as a openly gay spokesperson 5 months before he was elected. Not mentioned is the fact that when I went to the Associated Press on Orange Tuesday(The name I gave for that event)… at first they were not interested. I convinced them that 5,000 people taking part in an impromptu march on 6/7/77 responding to the result of a local election that took place 2,000 miles away in Dade Country Florida WAS NATIONALLY NEWSWORTHY… visit
http://www.thecastro.net/street/memoriespage/pritikin/scene05.html I have been blessed. Being in the right time and place most of my 77 years,and often with my companion… my camera.
This is sooo very sad! We’ve been eating there for years, even before it was re-named. Plus “Big Mike” is such a sweet and generous man. He was going to help my daughter & fellow students do a fundraiser for an important East Coast Trip and I’ve been there for other fundraisers too. Just really, very, very, bummed out. 🙁
LOL Yo Cat…get over it. I doubt if he could pull off a fundraiser ever since he had one for himself and raised 20k for his polyps
The reason so many restaurants in Hillcrest have closed recently is because no one wants to live or go there anymore. Hillcrest has been dying for years. The mentality of folks on the committees, boards and associations serving Hillcrest still think it’s 1992. I’m so glad I’ve moved from that neighborhood 15 years ago. It’s depressing when I go there.
RE: Harvey Milk’s closure:
The latest posting to Harvey Milk’s Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/HarveysHillcrest ] at 1:37 PM Tuesday afternoon, posted by a Shon Baxter :
“Hey Managers! My son’s paycheck bounced last week and no one will answer the F!#$ing phone to help him. Additionally, no one bothered to tell him and the rest of the staff that the restaurant would be closing. That’s why you can see a group of employees standing on the sidewalk every morning waiting to see if today might be the day they get to report for work and actually get let inside. Pretty shitty way to run a business if you ask me. You should treat your employees better than that!”
The controllers of that Page have blocked critics from any further postings or comments.
Not informing employees of a closing, and not paying them—not nice. Not legal.
What a low class posting. I get the guy is mad but what a terrible example for his kid. Ill take a guess the dad is uneducated.
UPDATE as of Tuesday, 3:20 PM:
Apparently the owners of Harvey Milk’s Facebook page have already removed the comment of the angry father of Harvey Milk’s employee, Mr. Baxter. It is preserved here–please SHARE this so Hillcrest has the accurate facts.