Despite ongoing challenges for the restaurant industry — rising food costs, staffing shortages, slower foot traffic and diners pushing back on creeping prices — many restaurateurs are still hanging on.
While Sonoma County saw a significant number of closures this year, more than in 2024, there was also encouraging movement in the other direction. Several restaurants reopened under new ownership, and others quickly found new tenants poised to take their place in 2026.
Restaurant ownership remains a tough game, even for the hardiest souls, but in 2025 openings ultimately outpaced closures. Rosso returned just months after closing, as did Bazaar Sonoma and Downtown BBQ. There were also big, successful swings, including Charlie Palmer’s Folia at Appellation Healdsburg and Waterhawk Lake Club in Rohnert Park, alongside smaller wins from pop-up standouts like Bob Costarella of Red Eye Barbecue.
Still, the losses sting. It’s heartbreaking to see longtime favorites disappear and just as painful to watch promising newcomers that never quite found their footing. Behind every closure are restaurateurs who poured blood, sweat and savings into a dream that didn’t survive.
Here are the Sonoma County restaurants we lost in 2025.
Hana Japanese (January): Known for its affable founding chef Ken Tominaga and authentic cuisine, the Japanese restaurant unofficially closed in January. It wasn’t until August that Tominaga’s widow, Emiko, announced the official closure, saying the family worked for three years to keep the restaurant open following Ken’s death before making the difficult decision to close. The Hana legacy carried on with a ramen pop-up with Bazaar Sonoma in August and promises of future collaborations. 101 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park
Tipsy Taco (March): The former Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina has seen a handful of restaurant concepts come and go at its downtown Santa Rosa location with the taqueria being its latest tenant. No replacement has been announced. 505 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa
Rosso (March, reopened September): When Santa Rosa’s Rosso Pizzeria and Wine Bar closed its doors in March, it felt like the end of an era. Opened in 2009 by chef John Franchetti, formerly of Tra Vigne, and Kevin Cronin, the wood-fired pizza shop had built a loyal following with its focus on simple Italian cooking and seasonal, local ingredients. Franchetti insisted that everything — from dough to burrata — be made in-house. But Rosso was too inimitable to go gently into that good night.
Less than seven months later, the restaurant reopened under the ownership of John and Linda Ahmadi, a husband-and-wife team who previously ran Sandy’s Take and Bake Pizza (which they sold to Kristen and Kenny Bringhurst in 2023). The space and menu remain mostly unchanged, many staff members have returned, and the food, for the most part, is just as good as you remember. 53 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-615-7893, rossopizzeria.com
Trattoria Cattaneo (April): The Bennett Valley trattoria closed after 22 years, citing rising costs for ingredients, labor and utilities, along with a post-COVID slowdown. The family-run restaurant, known for classic comfort dishes like chicken cannelloni, ravioli and gnocchi, had been on the market for three years without a viable buyer. 2700 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa
Kapu (April): The rum-forward, tiki-themed bar in Petaluma closed in late April due to ongoing financial challenges, according to owner David Ducommun. The bar opened in early 2023 with immersive design by tiki bar specialist Ben Bassham. 132 Keller St., Petaluma
Blue Ridge Kitchen (May): The Southern-inspired anchor restaurant at The Barlow was one of several closures and transitions at the Sebastopol market in 2025. Chef Matt D’Ambrosi, formerly of Spoonbar, Harmon Guest House and Pizzando, opened Blue Ridge Kitchen in 2020. No replacement has been announced. 6770 McKinley St., Sebastopol
Other Barlow transitions include:
• Farmer’s Wife, which closed in October, will be replaced by Genero’s Deli in early 2026.
• Cock Robin is transitioning to Iggy’s Organic Burger. While signage has not yet changed, owner Ignacio “Iggy” Garat plans to add fried chicken and ice cream.
• Salt & Sea, from Sushi Kosho owner Jake Rand, replaced the former Purple Acai juice and smoothie bar in August, serving Hawaiian-style poke bowls with seasoned rice and marinated raw fish.
Piala (August): Despite glowing reviews, the Georgian-style restaurant cited the “economic climate” for its closure. But even before its 2022 opening, the Sebastopol restaurant faced challenges after city leaders barred co-owner Lowell Sheldon from working at or entering the kitchen as a condition of its alcohol permit. The restriction followed public outcry after Sheldon was accused of sexual harassment. He denies the allegations, and no criminal charges were filed. 7233 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol
Walter Hansel Wine & Bistro (August): The rural bistro affiliated with Walter Hansel Winery served its last meal in mid-August after 12 years in business. Owner Stephen Hansel cited rising food costs and declining foot traffic. 3535 Guerneville Road, Santa Rosa
Road Trip Kitchen (September): Restaurateur Crista Luedtke sold her eclectic Guerneville cafe to chefs Carlos Mendez and Rosy Ortega, who had worked for her at Boon Cafe for more than a decade. The duo reopened it as Three Cultures Kitchen, serving American dishes infused with flavors from Ortega’s Salvadoran roots and Mendez’s Mexican heritage. 16218 Main St., Guerneville
Maya Restaurant (September): The longtime Mexican favorite on Sonoma’s plaza closed after the owners announced their retirement. The Girl & The Fig team plans to take over the space for a new restaurant opening in 2026. 101 E. Napa St., Sonoma
Bazaar Sonoma (September, reopened October): After an early morning fire destroyed Bazaar Sonoma’s Forestville location in September, owners Sean Quan and Jenny Phan didn’t miss a beat. Just weeks later, they were back in cooking action at nearby BaSo Annex at 6536 Front St., offering a streamlined menu of fan favorites, including Zhong dumplings, Taiwanese beef noodle soup and tofu pudding with five-spice caramel. The Annex is open from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. They’ve also added Sunday lunch service from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for clay pot rice, dumplings and congee. In December, the couple had a preview of a new project, Anju Club, featuring Korean drinking food at Acre Pasta in Sebastopol.
Downtown BBQ (November, reopened late November): After a brief closure, restaurateur Lowell Sheldon announced that the sprawling downtown Santa Rosa restaurant would reopen under new ownership with some menu changes. Sheldon declined to identify the group replacing him, but said a new chef and new menu items were included with the change. 610 Third St., Santa Rosa
Stonework Pizza (November): The Petaluma pizzeria closed in late November. Pig in a Pickle plans to open at the site in 2026. 615 E. Washington St., Petaluma