The Mission District’s 598 Guerrero Street has a reputation for being a culinary revolving door, with restaurants coming and going like San Francisco tech startups. The latest chapter in this location’s quirky history involves Handroll Project, a sushi spot from the team behind Ju-Ni, closing its doors after just three years.

Owners Tan Truong and chef Geoffrey Lee are pivoting from handrolls to hamburgers, transforming the space into a second location of their Hamburger Project. This isn’t just a simple restaurant transition - it’s a tale riddled with local restaurant drama and whispers of supernatural intrigue.

Former employees of Handroll Project have even claimed the space might be haunted, with stories of paranormal activity circulating among staff. Previous tenants like AL’s Deli and Izakaya Yuzuki also struggled to maintain long-term success in this seemingly cursed location.

The restaurant’s closure comes on the heels of some online controversy involving Geoffrey Lee and a TikTok influencer. Lee reportedly engaged in a weeks-long social media dispute after receiving a less-than-stellar review, which led to him stepping back from day-to-day operations of his restaurant group.

This isn’t an isolated incident in San Francisco’s restaurant scene. Another recent example involves KIS Cafe in Hayes Valley, which briefly closed after a similar influencer-related incident before reopening under a new name.

As the Hamburger Project prepares to take over the 18th and Guerrero space, local food enthusiasts are curious to see whether this smashburger concept can break the supposed restaurant space curse. With its proximity to the original Hamburger Project location and the reputation of the Ju-Ni team, there’s hope this might be the venture that finally puts down roots.

Only time will tell if the new restaurant can overcome the location’s turbulent culinary history and become a lasting fixture in San Francisco’s ever-evolving dining landscape.