California has lost another longtime dining fixture amid a wave of painful local restaurant closures. Oasis Grill’s First Street location in San Francisco closed on October 29 after nearly 30 years of serving shawarma, kebabs and fresh Mediterranean meals to the city’s downtown workforce.
Owners Muna Azzghayer and Mohammad Zughaiyir said landlord Kilroy Realty declined to renew their lease and gave the space to another restaurant. The couple said they had expected to remain after investing about $2 million in a yearlong build-out completed in 2015. Their family business, founded in 1999, continues at three other San Francisco locations.
A family vision for Mediterranean food
Oasis Grill grew from the couple’s different but complementary roots. Zughaiyir grew up around his family’s produce business in Jerusalem, while Azzghayer was raised in San Francisco. Together they introduced Eastern Mediterranean flavors to customers who wanted a fast downtown meal made with fresh ingredients.
The menu centered on chicken, beef and lamb shawarma; kebabs; falafel; hummus; salads and grilled lavash wraps. House-made garlic sauce, tahini, pickled vegetables and pomegranate-marinated eggplant gave the counter-service format its own identity. Halal meats and vegan options helped the restaurant serve a wide range of office workers, residents and visitors.
A major investment could not secure the lease
The First Street branch sat across from Salesforce Tower, positioning it for the dense weekday lunch traffic that once defined downtown San Francisco. Azzghayer and Zughaiyir spent a year installing the kitchen and gas lines for the restaurant’s 2015 build-out. Then the pandemic sharply reduced office foot traffic, testing a location built around commuters.
The owners stayed through that disruption and believed the restaurant would keep its space. They became concerned when the landlord began showing the unit to prospective tenants in early 2026. When the lease expired at the end of October, Kilroy Realty did not offer a renewal. The landlord did not publicly respond to questions about the decision.
Why downtown customers loved it
Oasis Grill offered something valuable in a business district: food that was quick enough for lunch but still tasted personal. Regulars could pick up a chicken shawarma wrap, salmon kebab, falafel plate or fresh salad without turning the meal into a long appointment. The owners’ emphasis on daily preparation and transparent ingredients built trust over repeated visits.
The remaining Oasis Grill restaurants preserve the family’s menu and name, but the First Street closing still ends a distinct downtown routine. For nearly three decades, the business helped make Mediterranean food part of San Francisco’s everyday lunch culture. Losing the lease means customers can follow Oasis Grill elsewhere, but they cannot recreate the familiar stop across from Salesforce Tower.
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