In the food-obsessed Bay Area, The San Francisco Chronicle’s food section has been as much of a city institution as the cable car, and to many San Franciscans, more useful. Over the years it has won many awards and developed a dedicated following.

Now, The Chronicle, owned by the Hearst Corporation, is planning to eliminate its stand-alone food section and integrate it into a single lifestyle section — tentatively titled “Artisan” — with material from other parts of the newspaper, including the home section, according to employees who have been told of the plans.

Although the merger is set to take place by February, the decision has not been publicly announced. Staff members of the newspaper, who spoke to The New York Times about the plan, insisted on anonymity because they said they feared reprisals for disclosing it.

The publisher of The Chronicle, Jeffrey Johnson, did not return calls seeking comment. However, the managing editor, Audrey Cooper, posted a response online saying that The Chronicle was actually increasing its investment in food and wine coverage.