Dennis Leary Goes on Shopping Spree; Opening Two New SF Spots

Dennis Leary plans to expand his Canteen empire

By Meesha Halm

Dennis Leary has come along way since he opened the scrappy, sardine-sized Canteen in the Tenderloin's Commodore Hotel. At the time, Leary jettisoned his high-profile gig as executive chef at the celebrity-backed Rubicon to go it alone, but it looks like he’s fast on the path of becoming the boss of his own formidable Downtown restaurant empire. Since opening Canteen, Leary has gone on to open the cult-favorite sandwich shops The Sentinel and Golden West, and acquired the historic bar House of Shields. Now the Inside Scoop reports that Leary will be opening two new ventures in 2013.

According the report, Leary, along with his bar manager of House of Shields, has scooped up the R&J Sports Bar in the Tenderloin and plans to turn it into a friendly bar that’s short on hipster mixology hype and long on customer service. The bar doesn’t have a name yet but the team has tapped New York designer Jack Dakin (responsible for among other venues, Lure Fishbar in NY and Freddy Smalls in LA) to renovate it. He's has also inked a deal to open a new 1,000 square restaurant in FiDi district to be named Café Terminus. By day, it will hawk his signature fancy-pants sandwiches (a la Sentinel and Golden West), but Café Terminus will also mark Leary’s rededication to the world of evening dining. The new restaurant will feature a two-story sit-down dining room and, if all goes as planned, a full bar. Both projects are expected to open sometime in the next four to six months.