The last outpost of a Bay Area restaurant empire closes

A customer converses with a staff member at hot food bar area at Chow in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, April 2, 2018. A customer converses with a staff member at hot food bar area at Chow in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, April 2, 2018. Photo: Stephen Lam, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Stephen Lam, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 52 Caption Close The last outpost of a Bay Area restaurant empire closes 1 / 52 Back to Gallery

Where once there were five Chow restaurants in the Bay Area, now there are none. The last outpost of Tony Gulisano's Chow empire, in Lafayette's La Fiesta Square, closed Monday after 15 years in service, a manager confirmed Thursday.

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But there's some good news for Bay Area residents hankering for heaping scrambles and giant salads: The Lafayette Restaurant Group purchased the Lafayette Chow location and reopened it Tuesday under a new name, said restaurant manager Kai Gulisano, Tony's nephew.

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Most everything about the restaurant is unchanged from its predecessor, including the food menu, decor and staff, Kai Gulisano said. The only differences? The joint's been renamed Tutu's Food and Drink, and beer and wine has temporarily been removed from the menu as the restaurant awaits approval of a liquor license — including hard alcohol. Gulisano said some minor decor changes have been made as well.

The other Chow locations — in Oakland, Danville and San Francisco — closed over the past two years, including Gulisano's original outpost, at 215 Church St. in San Francisco, which shuttered in March after 22 years.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at michelle.robertson@sfgate.com.

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