- Beloved San Ramon steakhouse The Brass Door will close permanently on December 24, 2025, after failing to secure a lease renewal.
- Generations of loyal customers mourn the loss, while owner Shahla Azad seeks a new location to potentially reopen in early 2026.
It’s one of those places everyone in town knows—the kind where generations have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and quiet weeknight dinners.
But after nearly eight decades, The Brass Door, a cherished steakhouse in San Ramon, California, is shutting its doors for good on Christmas Eve 2025.
Customers are flooding in for one last meal, and the outpouring of sadness online and in person shows just how deeply this spot was woven into the community’s fabric.
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The announcement came directly from the restaurant itself.
Details of the Announcement
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that The Brass Door will be closing, with our final day of operation on December 24th, 2025. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to secure or renew a lease for our location, and we must bring this chapter to a close at the end of that day,” the owners posted on Facebook.
Shahla Azad, who’s owned and managed the place for about the last 10 years, opened up about the tough reality in an interview with CBS News.
“People have been coming here all their lives, and I’m so proud to own this place,” she said.
But the landlord, 8 to 5 Properties, refused to renew the lease, even after Azad offered more money.
“I can’t explain, but closing the door. Closing Brass Door is heartbreaking,” Azad told the outlet.
She’s not giving up entirely, though—Azad is scouting for a new spot and hopes to reopen The Brass Door somewhere else in early 2026.
In the meantime, reservations are pouring in from folks wanting to say goodbye.
“They have been calling all day long to make reservations to come for the last time. That is even more sad, to be honest with you, it makes me more sad,” Azad shared.
Community Reactions
Longtime regulars are taking it hard.
San Ramon resident Denis Pennington, who’s been dining there for over 30 years, described it as “one of the staples of San Ramon… It’s a gathering place. It’s like a family.”
He added, “We do treat it like a ‘Cheers’ restaurant. It’s where everybody knows your name, and that is so true for this place.”
Other customers echoed that sentiment in comments on the restaurant’s social media posts.
One Instagram user, doramgriffin, wrote: “We are so sad about The Brass Door closing; we have been going to the Brass Door since I was a very young child, with my father and family.”
“It was such a treat and always felt like we were going to see family and friends and have a great meal. As an adult, I have been going to Brass Door continuously for years at least one day weekly with my husband, friends, and family.”
On Facebook, Larry Grey noted: “My close friends and I have been having Thursday cocktails here for many years (often taking over a significant part of the bar area).”
“The Brass Door is an important part of San Ramon — and the community will be the worse due to its loss.”
Judie Verrips added: “So sad to hear this. My friends & I have made this a monthly stop for over 30 years for lunch or dinner. We’ve celebrated holidays, birthdays, anniversaries & (sadly) more than 1 passing.”
“I’ll miss the Belvedere martinis, the prime rib & the friendly atmosphere.”
The restaurant’s farewell message summed it up perfectly: “It has been a gathering place for friends, families, celebrations, and countless memories.”
“We are profoundly grateful for every person who walked through our doors and helped create the warm, welcoming community that defined us.”
A Rich History That Started Small
The Brass Door’s story goes back to 1946, when Howard “Shorty” Schlesinger opened what was then called the 9/5 Club—a tiny spot with just six bar stools and room for 20 diners.
It served steamed beer, fried chicken, and even had nickel slot machines.
Back then, most customers were local ranchers, cattlemen, and folks traveling Highway 21.In 1955, Schlesinger’s son Mick teamed up with local dairyman Dick Basso to take over and rename it The Brass Door.
Through the years, it survived remodels, a fire, and massive growth, eventually seating over 200 people.
The menu focused on corn-fed Midwestern beef, fresh seafood, chicken, prime rib (served “all day every day”), French dips, salads, sandwiches, soups, and wines from Livermore Valley, Napa, and broader California.
“Prime rib is our signature dish and is served ‘all day every day.’ Our prime rib French dip sandwich has always been a guest favorite,” the restaurant noted on its history page.
It became the go-to for business lunches, social events, and everything in between in the San Ramon Valley—truly earning that “Cheers” comparison where regulars felt like family.
Part of a Bigger Wave in the Steakhouse World
Sadly, The Brass Door isn’t alone.
The restaurant industry is facing some of its slowest growth in years, with 2025 sales projected at $478 billion—just a 2.8% bump from 2024, the smallest annual increase in a decade outside the COVID slump, per a Technomic report cited by Nation’s Restaurant News.
Steakhouses, in particular, have taken hits.
Chains like Outback Steakhouse closed over 40 underperforming spots in early 2024 and another 20 in 2025.
Sizzler, once with hundreds of locations, is down to around 74.
Morton’s The Steakhouse shuttered spots in Dallas and Cincinnati after leases expired.
Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses combined have only about 21 left nationwide.
York Steak House, which had around 200 in the 1980s, now has just one in Ohio.
Tad’s Steaks is down to a single location, and Steak and Ale, after bankruptcy, has seen limited revivals.
High-end spots aren’t immune either—Shula’s Steakhouse has closed several, including a longtime one at Walt Disney World.
Even celebrity-backed places like Nusr-Et (Salt Bae’s chain) have pulled back from some markets.
Operators are grappling with skyrocketing food and labor costs, insurance, utilities, and card fees.
What Happens Next in the World of Restaurants?
Many are tweaking menus, cutting hours, or delaying expansions just to stay afloat.
Lease issues, like what hit The Brass Door, are a common final straw—even for spots with loyal crowds.
Surviving 80 years through recessions, inflation, pandemics, and shifting tastes is no small feat.
As one study from years back showed, fewer than 40% of restaurants make it past 10 years.
The Brass Door beat those odds for decades, building memories that won’t fade anytime soon.If you’re near San Ramon, there’s still time for one last prime rib before December 24.
Who knows—maybe it’ll rise again in a new spot. But for now, it’s a poignant reminder of how even the most beloved institutions can face an unexpected end.
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