Historic Burlingame post office turned restaurant

“What I really appreciate with this restaurant is how they really incorporate all the beautiful elements of the post office,” Burlingame Vice Mayor Donna Colson said. “The original owner was able to locate someone who really understands the uniqueness of the site and historic preservation elements. They brought in partners to do justice to the whole comprehensive project which includes the post office, the office buildings, the retail space, but also the whole town square that is going there.”

The 82-year old former post office, which was in use up until 2014, will be the oldest structure within the 220 Park development, and historical renovation efforts are still underway. Last year, the building was temporarily relocated approximately 100 feet to accommodate construction for underground parking before being moved back to its original site. A project manager from the construction group working on the renovation said that the building will maintain the antique lobby tables, brass-plated mailboxes, copper-plated service windows and the lobby’s marble-lined walls to maintain the building’s integrity.

Prior to knowing what the building’s fate would be, however, community members involved in historic preservation efforts were worried whether there would be sufficient investment in protecting the post office from strong winter weather in recent years.

“Until we had a clear vision as to what was happening, with the atmospheric rivers and storms that were happening, which can very quickly degrade a property like that, people were very concerned that the property was going to be neglected and go into disrepair,” said Colson, also adding that additional concerns surrounding the project were assuaged largely from continuous resident engagement.

“I think we ended up in a really, really good space for community benefit,” she said.

The move is part of an overall effort to revitalize parts of downtown Burlingame via the 220 Park development, which will be comprised of not only the 8,000-square-foot restaurant but 168,000 square feet of office space, 17,000 square feet of retail and an outdoor town square space. The restaurant anticipates opening together with the town square by the end of 2024.