Dianne de Guzman is a deputy editor at Eater SF writing about Bay Area restaurant and bar trends, upcoming openings, and pop-ups. North Beach Restaurant served San Franciscans for 50 years at 1512 Stockton Street, but it seemed the restaurant’s time was at an end when owner Leo Petroni announced that the restaurant would close at the end of December. The 6,400-square-foot restaurant and its assets were put up for sale with a $4.5 million asking price, and little has been heard about what’s happening next, until now: The San Francisco Chronicle reports experienced restaurateurs Francesco Covucci and Peter Fazio, who also own several restaurants in the neighborhood, are now under contract to purchase the restaurant from Petroni.