Wipeout Bar and Grill, a surf-themed American restaurant in Greenbrae, closed its doors on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The restaurant, previously located in the Bon Air Center, had been open for nearly five years.
According to senior and previous Wipeout employee Veronika Skala, who worked there for just over a year, the restaurant was forced to close because it wasn’t earning enough income to continue paying the rent.
“We weren’t getting enough customers and money for the amount of space that we had,” Skala said. “The restaurant is such a huge property itself that we weren’t making enough money to pay rent on that space.”
Wipeout was a popular place to work among Redwood students, due to the close-knit, friendly and laidback atmosphere, according to senior Allie Scott, who worked there for almost a year.
Skala added that, up until its closing day, a number of customers frequently visited the restaurant.

“For the most part, a lot of people enjoyed it,” Skala said. “We had a lot of regulars that came in, and I’m sure they’re going to be really disappointed about it closing.”
According to Skala, the news of closing came as a surprise to the employees.
“We weren’t getting enough business, so we had to shut down, but it was a lot sooner than I expected,” Skala said.
Skala and the other employees found out about the shutdown at a recent staff meeting held by their two managers.
“We found out three weeks ago, so it was really sudden,” Skala said. “We had no idea, so I’m surprised that they decided to close so soon after we found out.”
According to Scott, Wipeout filled a unique niche for many parents in the community.
“There’s not that many places where you can bring your kids and they can play, and the adults can do their own thing,” Scott said.
The restaurant was part of a two-restaurant chain, and while the Wipeout in Bon Air was forced to shut down, the location in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf remains open.
The general manager at the Bon Air location said he did not feel comfortable giving a comment.