"Chef Mourad Lahlou will close his San Francisco Moroccan fine-dining restaurant Mourad and have its final night of service on Saturday, October 26. The restaurateur announced the closure in an Instagram post, writing in part, “It is with a heavy heart that I wanted to share with you the closure of Mourad restaurant. This evening’s service will be our last. It has been 10 years since we opened our doors and started this wild journey in the heart of San Francisco, a place I called home for most of my life. This decision was not an easy one.” Lahlou writes that despite the effect of the pandemic on restaurants and the challenge of businesses closing in SoMa, “we believed in our neighborhood and home and decided to dig deeper and not bail out,” praising his team for being “resourceful, determined, and uncompromising in our pursuit of excellence.” As for the reason for the closure, Lahlou hints at issues without disclosing them, writing, “But despite all our efforts and determination, many challenges including a bitter dispute with city officials over the last year, details of which I will share when the time is appropriate, have forced us to close our doors and say goodbye for now.”" - Dianne de Guzman
