In his 20-plus years in San Francisco, Onur ‘Oz’ Ozkaynak has owned and operated half a dozen restaurants across the city, from a lounge and burger joint to a pizzeria. But it was a lively Caribbean restaurant and bar where he was a regular that completely stole the Turkish immigrant’s heart.
He loved Haight Street’s Cha Cha Cha for its Cajun shrimp, highly chuggable sangria and the Cuban jazz flowing from its colorful dining room. Unlike many of his own now-shuttered businesses, it had longevity. And he wanted it.
“It was successful all these years, and every time I walked by, it was busier than any other restaurant in the neighborhood,” Ozkaynak said of the restaurant, which recently turned 40. He knew owner Irfan Yalcin and bugged him for years to sell. Last year, he got his wish.
But the deal had a catch: Ozkaynak also had to take on the Mission Street Cha Cha Cha location, which has been struggling to bounce back from the pandemic and will likely close. While Ozkaynak celebrates the Haight location’s four decades in operation and recent designation as a legacy business , he’s also mourning the loss of the longtime fixture of the Mission District. After losing thousands a day on the flailing business, Ozkaynak put 2327 Mission St. on the market in December and has since reduced its price, hoping to find a buyer for the historic spot with a great American story…