The Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) is thrilled to announce that the Cliff House name has been formally donated to the community history nonprofit by Demosthenis (Dan) and Mary Hountalas.

The donation agreement was officially signed by all parties as of Nov. 1. Included in the donation are signature recipes, the physical sign that was famously removed from the building when the restaurant closed, as well as all trademarks, domains and social media accounts connected to the business. WNP is grateful to Jenner & Block LLP for its pro bono assistance with the donation agreement.

WNP Executive Director Nicole Meldahl said, “Having spent countless hours in the building while managing the Museum at The Cliff, I’m lucky to know first-hand that the Cliff House is uniquely special. WNP is honored to be chosen as the trusted stewards of this legacy by the Hountalas’, who have dedicated their lives to preserving the restaurant’s history and crafting unforgettable experiences for generations of visitors at the western edge of San Francisco. We look forward to working with present and future concessioners of the Cliff House to ensure the name will forever remain connected to the historic building.”

WNP, founded in 1999, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves, interprets, and shares the diverse history and culture of San Francisco’s west side from the organization’s headquarters at 1617 Balboa St. in the Richmond District. The nonprofit is most recently known for fundraising more than $150,000 in less than three weeks to save more than 100 historic artifacts from the Cliff House auction with partners John Lindsey of The Great Highway gallery and Alexandra Thrapp of ACT Art Conservation in March 2021. Following the successful campaign, the trio partnered with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Global Museum at San Francisco State University (SFSU) to stage a free immersive exhibition in the former restaurant and gift shop called “The Museum at The Cliff,” which placed contemporary art in conversation with historic artifacts and the landscape that created them both.

Dan and Mary Hountalas are longtime members of WNP, and the extended Hountalas family has been a vibrant part of the Ocean Beach community since 1906. Michael Hountalas first leased a candy and tobacco stand inside the carbarn that was once the streetcar terminus at Lands End in 1919. After the structure was destroyed by fire in 1949, Michael acquired the Golden Gate View Coffee Shop next to the Sutro Baths. His son, Dan, began selling peanuts outside the family business at the age of six, and eventually opened his own restaurant, the Cliff Chalet, in 1958. He extensively remodeled the coffee shop and renamed it Danny’s Cliff Chalet in 1965, only to see it burn one year later in the same blaze that destroyed the Sutro Baths.

Dan pivoted, using his business administration degree from SFSU to become national sales manager for Consolidated Foods. That’s how he met Mary, regional food service supervisor for Mannings Foodservice Co., and the two were married in 1972. With financial support from their parents, the pair leased a banquet hall at the Cliff House and turned it into a popular breakfast and lunch spot known for its omelettes in 1973. This led to opening the Ben Butler Bar on the main floor in 1974 and eventually reopening the main dining room as The Seafood and Beverage Company. Dan and Mary shepherded the iconic restaurant, which opened in 1863, into a new era and then into the 21st-century with a major remodel in the early 2000s.

“For some time now, we have felt very strongly that Western Neighborhoods Project, under the leadership of Nicole Meldahl, should receive this gift,” the Hountalas Family said. “Western Neighborhoods Project is a wonderful organization made up of people who deeply respect and continue to honor the history of San Francisco. When our departure from the Cliff House necessitated the auction of its historical memorabilia, it was this dedicated group who organized efforts to raise the funds needed to purchase the most significant items, ensuring they would be preserved together for future display. We are confident that, through their stewardship, the legacy of the Cliff House and its storied past will remain protected and that one day, the Cliff House will once again open its doors to the public in all its previous glory.”