Last year, when a scandal left The Corner without a chef, forcing it to close, then-manager Justin Glennon convinced owner Philip Bellber, owner of Cha Cha Cha and Boogaloo's, to reanimate the space as a host for popup restaurants. The weekly schedule has included barbecue, Thai, ramen, chili, pizza, and experimental Californian cuisine, and very few nights have been empty.
According to two of the Corner's tenants, Joanna Karlinsky (Sweet Jo's Chili and Biscuits) and Richard Park (CatHead's BBQ), however, the popup space went back on hiatus week. SFoodie has not been able to get confirmation from management, but yesterday we spoke to Karlinsky as she was moving her equipment out of the space. She said a recent Health Department inspection determined that the Corner space was only set up for a wine bar, not a full-service kitchen. Many of the popups threw farewell dinners last week, and Karlinsky, Park, EAT Restaurant, and Soul Groove have notified their mailing lists and Twitter followers that they're out of the Corner and looking for other venues.
