St. Francis Fountain, that old school diner you might have passed on 24th Street in the Mission District of San Francisco, is hitting 100 years! Making it through 100 years of business is no small achievement and they are rightly celebrating and taking a short break. Co-owner Peter Hood announced that the diner is due for a touchup and would be temporarily closing for 4 to 6 weeks.

A more formal announcement will be made on their website when dates are decided.

For some history, back in 1918, St. Francis Fountain was established by James Christakes, an immigrant from Greece. It was family owned and run until 2000. In 2002, it was purchased by Peter Hood and Levon Kazarian, who updated the diner a bit while maintaining its original flavor. It remains San Francisco’s oldest ice cream parlor.

While the original owners made their own candy and ice cream, the new owners are keeping it fresh with lots of vegan choices such as tofu scrambles, vegan chorizo hash, vegan pancakes, vegan sausage patties, and more. Plus, there are lots of tried-and-true favorites like the Buttermilk Hot Cakes that just never get old. And while they no longer makes its own homemade ice cream, thanks to Mitchell’s Ice Cream, you can still order a good old-fashioned Banana Split, dreamy milkshakes, and other sweet treats.

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Don’t expect anything too upscale when you sit down for your meal, but the charm runneth over. Perhaps because it’s reminiscent of times gone by and some we wish would come back. Here are just some claims to fame the St. Francis Fountain has acquired recently:

“The Bay’s Best Milkshakes” by Do The Bay

#9  of “14 of the Most Charming Old-Fashioned Soda Fountains Across America”  by Country Living

#16 of “25 Classic Restaurants Every San Franciscan Must Try”  by EATER SF

St. Francis Fountain
2801 24th Street
San Francisco