Original Joe's Takes Over Left Bank Site in Menlo Park
The Bay Area Italian chain will open at 635 Santa Cruz Ave. after Left Bank Brasserie closed in June following a 28-year run.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Original Joe's, a Bay Area chain of family Italian restaurants, will replace Left Bank Brasserie at 635 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park. Left Bank closed in June 2026 after a 28-year run.
Why it matters
Left Bank's general manager said labor costs were the biggest challenge, citing Menlo Park's $17.55 minimum wage set by City Council. Restaurant margins at this size are very small, making losses difficult to avoid.
Left Bank Brasserie closed in June after a 28-year run at 635 Santa Cruz Ave. Menlo Park's minimum wage is $17.55, set by City Council, which the restaurant's general manager cited as its biggest cost challenge.
The players
Original Joe's
A Bay Area chain of family Italian restaurants founded in San Francisco in 1937 and co-owned by Michelle and Brad Rocca.
Betsy Nash
The mayor of Menlo Park who announced the arrival of Original Joe's in her newsletter.
Vine Hospitality
The parent company of Left Bank Brasserie, which also closed restaurants in Tiburon, Larkspur, San Ramon and Santana Row.
The details
Original Joe's, founded in San Francisco in 1937, will bring open exhibition kitchen dining, red leather booths, cocktails and Italian-American comfort food to the site. Mayor Betsy Nash announced the arrival in her newsletter, and the chain's co-owners said its San Jose location is not on the market and is not closing.
Timeline
June 2026: Left Bank Brasserie closes after a 28-year run.
May 2026: Owners deny rumors that the San Jose Original Joe's location is closing or being sold.
November 3, 2026: Mayor Betsy Nash announces Original Joe's arrival in her newsletter.
Market Landscape
Left Bank's closure ties directly to Menlo Park's City Council-set minimum wage of $17.55, which the operator cited as the main cost pressure on a thin-margin restaurant. The replacement by Original Joe's, a chain already operating in San Francisco and San Jose, reflects how established multi-location operators are filling storefronts that independent operators could not sustain.
Residents who ate at Left Bank Brasserie will need to find another option at 635 Santa Cruz Ave. until Original Joe's opens there. The change also signals that Menlo Park's street-level dining options are shifting as older independent restaurants close.
The takeaway
Menlo Park's dining scene is changing as rising labor costs push out long-running restaurants and larger chains take over their spaces. Local shoppers and diners may see more of these replacements along Santa Cruz Avenue.
Further reading
For more local restaurant and storefront changes, see Openings & Closings in Menlo Park.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Palo Alto Daily Post.
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