assemble kitchen at the craneway closed for now
that the vast, historic, waterfront venue the craneway pavilion at 1414 harbor way south in richmond was transformed from a special community event space into a controversial private pickleball club in 2023, certainly made the news and lively discussion on social media.
the new club's abrupt closure (complete with chains on the doors) several weeks ago due to a legal dispute is also just now generating media attention as well as plenty of continued local debate.
in a quieter community story, the craneway's restaurant assemble kitchen is also now closed, possibly indefinitely, and a valuable richmond dining destination with marina views – and neighbor to local gem and historic national park the rosie the riveter museum – has gone dormant just in time for summer.
in 2023, two former richmond-based eateries operating out of the craneway's restaurant, bar and outdoor patio space – rocky island oyster co. and brezo – together with busy outside food truck tommy's barbecue, were all told to depart to make way for the new tenants' pickleball-adjacent restaurant, assemble kitchen, that opened with cafe fare in july of that year.
assemble kitchen's may shuttering has not yet been made widely apparent online, to the dismay of potential customers. in recent days, a note was finally added to the restaurant's website indicating temporary closure "for repairs," but for weeks now, including on mother's day (!), families with confirmed reservations arrived at the waterfront restaurant to find it shuttered and dark with no explanation.
angry consumer posts on opentable and yelp are asking those sites to please mark the restaurant at least temporarily closed.
(meanwhile, though they are missed in richmond, it seems like moving out was for the best for the pre-pickleball, craneway-based food businesses – rocky island, now the salty pearl, has found a spot in oakland's jack london square; longtime favorite brezo is now busy on solano avenue in albany; and tommy's barbecue has since moved into its first brick-and-mortar in hercules.)
if and when assemble kitchen reopens we will update this post.
june 4, 2025