A vegan restaurant closure is a scary sign in Midtown Sacramento | Opinion
Parts of downtown Sacramento are an example of the failed potential of city plans to create a bustling and vibrant area for all to experience. The restaurants that inhabit K and J streets are sometimes separated by an empty or abandoned building that gives off negative energy, discouraging repeat visits rather than inviting them.
Since moving to Sacramento last year, I’ve worried about Midtown, a neighborhood east of downtown whose borders are R Street on the South, J Street on the North, 16th Street on the West, and 30th Street on the East. It’s my neighborhood, a success story long before I arrived by meddling stately Victorians with art galleries and places for live music, night spots that drew crowds and great places to eat. Midtown was what downtown should be.
But then, University Art closed down in October of last year. The arts store was a staple in the city for 70 years, and was located in its Midtown location for 26 years until it closed. It was the last independent art store in Sacramento that closed due to a lack of sales and the Bay Area owners wanting to sell the property.
Since then, restaurants in Midtown for over a decade, like Ink Eats & Drink and Public House, have also closed.
But the one closing that has really stood out to me was the vegan fast food resturaunt, Burger Patch.
It was the first place I went to for food when I arrived in Midtown. I didn’t even immediately recognize it was a vegan place, a testament to its delicious food.
“This decision was not easy, but we make it with hearts full of gratitude,” Burger Patch owners Phillip and Danea Horn wrote. “Ultimately, we couldn’t make the numbers work to continue on.”
The Midtown Association, the group that provides services to businesses in the neighborhood, stays confident that business will continue to thrive.
“Like many communities, we know that rising costs and regulatory pressures have made it challenging for small businesses everywhere, yet Midtown continues to show strong signs of resilience,” the Midtown Association said in a statement. “Sales tax generation has more than doubled since the pandemic, and we’ve welcomed more than a dozen new businesses so far in 2025 alone, adding to a community of more than 2,000 businesses and 25,000 employees who choose Midtown as their home.”
Now, I know the usual diagnosis for a dying business is COVID-19. Many business closings have been attributed to being unable to adapt to the social distruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the final months for the vegan burger joint, they wanted to party like it was 2019, in hopes their business would stay a float.
In May, Burger Patch dropped its prices by nearly 25% as part of its “Eat Like It’s 2019” initiative, with additional discounts offered through Independence Day weekend. They literally gave customers the original pricing that they fell in love with and still the business did not pick up.
Midtown’s model is changing
It should be very concerning that a quality restaurant offered pre-COVID prices and still closed in the city’s supossedly prime Midtown area.
It also potentially signifies a shift in Midtown. The neighborhood’s crown jewel, the Midtown Farmer’s Market, is held every Saturday. The market is on 20th between J and I streets. In March of this year, they extended it by one block, adding more vendors along 20th street.
I’ve talked to vendors whose opted to close their brick and mortar locations on Saturdays to have a spot at the market.
The market is a main driver for businesses both in Midtown and elsewhere in the city. It appears that the location is also where the focus lies, as other events like the thrifting market Worlds Worst Expo has used the 20th and J area. That doesn’t bode well for places like Burger Patch that need customers outside of just Saturday.
Closings are not the only thing happening in Midtown. Paititi Peruvian Bistro just opened up on the corner of 20th and J. There are also success stories like Rick’s Dessert Diner, a beloved Midtown spot, is emerging from bankruptcy
“While individual closures are always difficult, the overall story in Midtown is one of continued growth and innovation for our small business community,” The association said.
But it is fair to also show concern when longtime establishments are closing their doors while citing an inability to continue their business in an area that is central for the city’s economy.
It’ll be important for the Midtown Association and the city to recognize that whenever a staple in Midtown closes, it’s time to start asking is the current model helping every small business thrive.
