San Francisco's “Best” Restaurant Gets a New Owner

Big news from the Pasta Pomodoro empire, where the company has changed hands and is now under the stewardship of two "Bay Area entrepreneurs" by the names of Matthew Janopaul and Girish Satya.

The news means that Pasta Pomodoro founder and longtime CEO Adriano Paganini—who is also involved in local hotspots like Beretta, Starbelly and Delarosa—is no longer involved with the company at all; Paganini started the mini-chain back in 1994.

The big sale caps off a busy year for what was once (strangely) called San Francisco's best restaurant, which saw the company cut ties with its North Beach, Castro and Sunset locations in a five-month span. Oddly enough, the two new owners come from unexpected backgrounds. Janopaul was most recently President and COO of Fender Musical Instruments, while Satya comes from turnaround firm Alvarez and Marsal, where he worked with Levi Strauss.

As the Pomodoro empire stands today, there are 30 restaurants scattered between Northern and Southern California, and Janapaul tells Eater that the plan is to continue to grow the brand by branching out into new neighborhoods. For the most part, they plan to keep the concept intact, citing the longevity that has persisted since 1994. If anything, they plan to take on a more "California-ized" theme, with increased emphasis on local purveyors and suppliers.


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