A fire ripped through the old Lin’s Buffet (Hungry Hunter before that) building on Willow Pass Rd. in Concord this morning.
The blaze started at about 2:40 a.m. inside the structure, which stood on Willow Pass, across the street from Waterworld Parkway.
Fast-food giant Chick-fil-A has proposed a 4,610-square-foot restaurant with 49 parking stalls and a double-stacked drive-thru lane with room for 19 vehicles for that location, however, talks have been stalled since February of 2020.
Chick-fil-A had earlier explored building a restaurant at 1225 Willow Pass Road (former Elephant Bar restaurant) and 1353 Willow Pass Road, which now hosts the new Gen Korean BBQ House.
And while those parcels were zoned for fast-food restaurants with a drive-thru, Concord city staff said they wouldn’t have supported those locations for a drive-thru, citing concerns about effects on traffic, circulation and economic development in this district with several high-rise office buildings.
The city had similar concerns with the Lin’s Buffet site, which was zoned for fast-food restaurants, but not with drive-thru windows.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Thanks to Evan for the top photo, and ConFire for the one on the bottom.
I was sad to see the Hungry Hunter leave. Lins Buffet stayed too long…it was horrible. I know that the homeless hang out all around that area and am not surprised that this happened. It should make the permit process to demolish and replace the building move quickly.
I ate there once , but the place was supper dirty. Had a window set and it had cob webs and a bunch of dead flys on the window seal. I thought if looks this bad where customers can see, it’s got to be bad in the kitchen.
Yes Supper was dirty, but lunch wasn’t so clean either.
If you think supper and lunch were dirty, you should have seen breakfast. There were flies doing sets of dumbbell flys on the windows.
Ok, let see how this eyesore sit on Willow Pass (the entrance to our fair city) before its cleaned up.
The city had a Chace to put a Chick’s Fla A in that location,but they weren’t a politically correct company so now we have a beautiful burnout building to look it
According to Democrats, a burned out building deserves what it got. And besides, in the name of equality and diversity some buildings must be burned down. So now Concord can apply to officially become a Certified Woke City.
Hunger Hunter must have been in there so long ago I can’t remember it. Arson.
Any restaurant that is closed on Sunday is absurd. It’s the busiest day of the week for people to go out to eat with their family. Do they not serve meat on fridays too? Lol
Companies like Chick-fil-A and hobby lobby’s who have devout Christian owners can set what hours & days of operation they want. I like that they’re closed on Sundays. They’re still doing very well honoring their Sabbath.
Schmee:
Is it also absurd to be a very profitable business, and have cities waiting in line for you to open one in their area?
I guess you don’t serve logic on Mondays.
Yes, God forbid a business be closed on Sunday to allow their employees spend the day with their families if they so desire.
“I demand the underclass serve me on my guaranteed day off!”
The relentless pursuit of profit, to include 24 hour stores and weekend business, has made the people at the top richer and provided them more convenience, while creating a whole class of people who have to work weekends, oddball hours, and still have to commute all the way from Pittsburgh and Antioch because they can’t afford to live here.
Personally, I’d be happy with a law mandating a business close on Sunday again. Not for religious reasons, but so that all Americans could have at least one damm thing in common again.
That’s one way to get rid of the rats!
There were Democrats in the building?
ahhhh dem firebums at it again
conveniently timed maybe
do agree with …how long will a burnt out eyesore grace the willowpass sanctuary corridor
also
Concord city staff said they wouldn’t have supported those locations
for a drive-thru,
citing concerns about effects on traffic, circulation
and economic development in this district
with several high-rise office buildings.
hmm those buildings would not have added economic value to the area by visiting the fast food giant for lunch
i guess socialist dont like free markets
or americans as a whole
go figure
Drove by around 6:30pm yesterday, and crazy was definitely in the air.
One homeless lady beating the ground with her coat, 3 others making a drug deal, another one wandering around shirtless and looking crazy.
Like they had all just been flushed out of the canal….
Trash everywhere, even though it had just been cleaned out two weeks prior.
So now in this area, we have had a brush fire, a structure fire, and a murder in just the last 3 weeks.
Is there no political willpower to fix this?
Concord needs a homeless czar to rule with an iron fist.
Anything less is not enough. Flush them out, don’t care where they go, but they can’t stay here.
See this is the kind of crap attitude that is just going to perpetuate the problem.
Yeah let’s just Shuffle the problem around without solving it. Heaven forbid your eyes must be averted and look the other way because your senses are offended.
Let’s hide the problem instead of finding a solution.
Make them go away, so you don’t have to see them.
So they can become someone else’s problem.
🤦🏻♀️
Mitch, Of the 3 behaviors you are describing, 2 obviously are mental illness and the 3rd illegal. So agree they should be dealt with. I don’t know why people with obvious mental illness cannot be apprehended and put in an institution. Dealing most drugs are illegal, so that should be dealt with according to the law. As for flushing them out, and not caring where the go, that means they will just become a problem in another neighborhood, which sounds like a revolving door, and nothing gets solved.
Build bigger jails, mental institutions, treatment programs or camps out in the middle of nowhere, and store everyone else at Regi’s house.
I’m all for solutions.
Violent, mentally ill drug addicts should not be allowed to take up residence in public spaces, littering, starting fires, and creating an environmental hazard.
Shape up or ship out.
@Regi
The solution has already ben found. The homeless are not readily agreeing to it. They have to give up the drugs and booze and find a job. They are not willing. So this kind of crap attitude is what it is until these people are willing to accept the solution that has been offered.
Over the early part of quarantine when everything was closed I happily ran the trail behind home depot and would turn over the bridge towards Denny’s and run along this street towards Todos Santos Park and it was a wonderful path.
Now in a short couple months I wouldn’t dare run this anymore with the amount of homeless living all along this path. They’ve ruined what could be a popular community trail. Or I should say our city leaders have, with their neglect and fear of being publicly shamed for not being compassionate to the homeless.
Multiple fires, shootings, and trashing the area…get ’em out of here before they multiply because like I said…this has gotten noticeably and significantly worse in just a year
Chick-fil-A? No thanks, that’s a terrible spot to add a drive-thru fast food place that is going to snarl traffic heading toward downtown Concord.
I totally agree! Look at the freaking mess that exists in Walnut Creek where Chick-fil-A shares a driveway and parking lots with the Gym!! What pea brain in Walnut Creek let THAT happen?? That’s a motivating factor to avoid the whole area!
Yeah….. but Chic-fil-A is worth the wait.
It also housed a Mexican restaurant. I do not remember the name but our company had a luncheon there and the food and service was poor.
The City of Concord is not too wise. They were concerned about traffic, economic dev and circulation??! Well, how about that magnanimous gesture to allow “POPEYE’s” at corner of Ayres and Clayton Road!! Talk about traffic issues and circulation — BS!!
The main factor to disallow Chick-Fil-A a permit is because Chick-Fil-A is a conservative corp, ie. it does not fit Concord’s sanctuary city status! Heck, WC allowed it because they are loose as a goose!
Companies like Chick-fil-A and hobby lobby’s who have devout Christian owners can set what hours & days of operation they want. I like that they’re closed on Sundays. They’re still doing very well honoring their Sabbath.
Concord74: the name of that Mexican restaurant was Tia Maria. And you’re right the food was not all that great nor was the service. The new El torito that opened at that time further down the street was much much better.
1972 : Bill K. and I took Vivian T. and Terry E. there on a double date for a High School Spanish class assignment.
It was called’Tia Maria’, a Mexican Restaurant.
Our assignment was to only speak and order dinner in Spanish.
That’s all I’m going to say about that, for now.
Pancho.
Acalanes 1974
@Stevo…..¿tuviste suerte?
Who saw the Super Deluxe Tent in the parking lot last month? The tent was using the handicap sign and hand railings as support.
Rumor has it that the property is owned by a family who can’t be bothered to maintain it.
When I first moved to Concord 1971 this location was a restaurant called ‘Henry the Eighth’ steak house. Anyone out there remember?
I didn’t get to the east bay until 1991 and don’t remember the steak house you mentioned, just hungry hunter. But it’s nagging me not remembering what it was before hungry hunter. I remember buffet city which I think morphed into lin’s (both awful). Someone mentioned it was a Mexican restaurant. Anyone remember?
… homeless had set fire there many times since it closed.. no surprise they got it again given the homeless population in that area… right down the street from there one homeless guy beat another to death with a rock about 2 weeks ago…. There was another homeless persons fight that resulted in another death at Concord Ave at the freeway on-ramp.
I bet illegal fireworks started it.
The Wizard, I heard on the news that a house in Antioch burned down due to fireworks. Yet there were people posting here on this site that they didn’t see a problem with individuals shooting off fireworks to celebrate the 4th.
That place actually started out as a Tia Maria Mexican restaurant around 1970. Does anyone remember that?
And yeah I bet anything that a homeless man started it. There’s several fire bugs among the homeless men in our area.
Tia Maria rings a vague bell. Do you know how long it was that? Before it was hungry hunter I thought it was another Mexican restaurant but maybe it was Tia Maria.
Do you remember when claim jumper was Charlie Brown’s? I wish I could remember what it was before that.
Can’t remember the name, but do remember going there for my first Mexican meal in about 1976.
In 1985-1987 (I know) that is was again a Mexican restaurant after Tia Maria. it was called Tres Hombres. I have pics from a San Fransico Federal christmas party in my old photo album- 1987: Tres Hombres. and me singing Karakoke. First (and last) time !!
The land that is currently and Empty Claim Jumper was (in the early 80’s) a restaurant and dance venue called Hungry Tiger. Ah… Good times. Remember when we could go to assorted clubs and Dance???
The place that was Claim Jumper, you mentioned the Hungry Tiger – no recall there. Do you remember what it was after that? A restaurant with the name “California” or “Family” in it? After that it turned into Charlie Browns (which had a great champagne Sunday Brunch).
Damn these senior moments … and they are getting so much more regular.
Do you remember a restaurant called Arturo’s in Walnut Creek on North Main – next to the Marriott which was the “Parkside Hotel” and the “Doubletree” for awhile. Really good mexican food. Right next to it was a Buttercup Grill. Now an apartment complex is squeezed in there. I even remember Fosters Freeze on North Main and El Pollo Loco was there too. Sure beats what is there now … (what IS there now anyway??)
@Karl
Hungry Tiger!
I remember Tia Maria. The food wasn’t great but the frozen margaritas were! They were made with a kind of slurpy machine and they went down very smoothly:)
@Snickerdad: Political Correctness? LOL. Thank heavens Council denied Chic Fil A. Have you been to the North Main at Treat location. The traffic there is horrendous and would wildly impact traffic on Willow Pass. Not everything is culture war.
The Hungry Hunter was good.
Lin’s was garbage.
It’s good to see our WOKE city council reject the Chick-fil-A. Can you imagine the tax revenue lost from this extremely well-run business? Oh wait…doesn’t fit their WOKE agenda and they know they can always ask Gavin for more money since Sacramento never seems to run out of other people’s money.
I think it was kamikaze flaming murder hornets from china!
The City Council sucks.
+2 Succinct and Correct
They don’t know the cause of the fire? C’on man it’s Global Warming!!!
It was first called “Tres Hombres”, as I recall. Everything about it was delicious and nice. Then somebody-or-other decided that that name was insulting, but I think the same people still ran the restaurant, didn’t they?
I didn’t like Lims that much. I loved the Hungry Hunter, but almost all of the their locations are closed now. I think the city of Concord should be a little less picky on what to put there now. I wonder what place will burn down next?
Let’s start a petition to re-open Tia Maria.
I think the fire was caused by long Covid and white supremacy.
Thanks for the reminder and shout out to Chick-fil-a. A nice reminder to how well our city is managed (or not). Heaven forbid we allow a company that has conservative values create jobs, bring in revenue, and occupy an otherwise eyesore of a building. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. “Heavy traffic” indeed. There’s going to be heavy traffic anyway, might as well enjoy a delicious chicken sandwich while you wait.
Chick-fil-A is stalled because of one thing politics! Meaning they don’t like CFA’s politics. They’ll throw away lots of sale tax revenue and are idiots.
No restaurant has ever been able to stay in this building for longer than a few years. It will probably be good to now be able to bulldoze it and start over fresh!
I have lived in Concord since 1978, never remember a Hungry Tiger in this location..
Or Hungry Hunter
I liked the old Mountain Jack’s in Lafayette.
Great Food, Great service… always had a a rockin band in the bar!
Not surprised this burnt down. Probably homeless or was an insurance thing why burnt down. This was an eye sore anyways and nothing going on with it.
It was called Casa Maria and it was a very nice Mexican restaurant when it opened.
Wasn’t there a murder just across the street at the local homeless hang out? Or encampment I should say to be PC and all. Just let them bulldoze the space for all the druggie homeless folks.
And I don’t even care….
I lived in Concord most of my life and I remember it was indeed a
Tia Maria Restaurant early on for a number of years,
…….. a very nice restaurant.
Who needs Demolition experts when we could use the homeless
It would not surprise me the Black Angus in PH will be next.
Someone obviously wanted to put a Bic-fil-a in that location.
Ahh the days of Hungry Hunter, Charlie Browns, and the Velvet Turtle! Days you could actually go out to a nice restaurant and get a great steak.
I think the fire was sponsored by Olive Garden corporate management. Here the come!!
I’m always suspicious when a restaurant burns, as it is the easy way to reset the property. When La Virage in Walnut Creek burned, it was most likely a torch job after no one wanted to buy the tiny lot next to office buildings. Too convenient.
Now there’s a new buffer-the homeless. Oh, you had a fire? The homeless started it? No witnesses? Insurance? = Payoff.
Better than having Henry and Tommy bust it out.
Nice pull
According to the fire department, the homeless were living there. If they were living there, and there was no electricity or gas — 1 plus 1 = 2.
Tia Maria was there between 1971-1975. The building has been there since 1971, and Tia Maria was the first restaurant.
As other’s have mentioned it was a Tia Maria’s (my parents often talked about it), then Los Tres Hombres (they had locations in Reno and South Lake Tahoe as well). In the late 80s/early 90s when Hungry Hunter was on an expansion kick, they took over the building and added the fake rocks to the front and most of the landscaping as I recall. They lasted for 15-20 years, unfortunately as our food tastes changed they didn’t evolve in the same way. All their locations closed (Concord, Lafayette, Oakland) the Oakland location was legendary for the Raiders that would drop by. I believe Hungry Hunter was out of Southern CA, the owner runs one now under the name “Hunter Steakhouse.”
Was that Baja Saloon(if I’m remembering the name correctly) back in the early 80s? We used to go there when restaurants had free buffets with happy hour, and it was great.
the business building there are empty since covid.. chick fil a makes a lot sense being close to hobby lobby and having the drive thru go down franquette (which is also basically vancant) won’t have any effect on traffic