Heritage Happy Hour: Cha Cha Cha

Heritage Happy Hour: Cha Cha Cha

Heritage Happy Hour is a convivial “no-host” gathering of heritage professionals, young preservationists, aficionados, friends, and Legacy Business cohorts interested in safeguarding San Francisco’s unique architectural and cultural identity. We get together on the Second Thursday of each month from 5-7 pm at a registered Legacy Business bar in San Francisco.

Cha Cha Cha is a Caribbean-inspired restaurant originally established by Philip Bellber and Leon Pak in the Haight-Ashbury in 1984 and known for its delicious tapas, famous sangria, entertainment, and event hosting. Philip, who is a Puerto Rican from New York, helped inspire the cuisine for their restaurant in addition to the rising popularity at the time of tapas and Latin cuisine. Leon emigrated from China to Cuba when he was 11 years old, which is where he learned about Latino culture and food. After Philip and Leon's retirement in 2016, today the restaurant is owned by Onur Ozkaynak.

The Haight location (a Mission location opened in 1997) features unique decor that is Cuban and Puerto Rican-inspired. Cha Cha Cha was one of the first establishments in San Francisco to feature Caribbean cuisine and serve sangria. It is believed that only three other restaurants served sangria in San Francisco before Cha Cha Cha. Throughout the restaurant's lifespan, what has stayed constant is the Caribbean soul of the restaurant.

Cha Cha Cha joined the Registry in 2025.

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San Francisco’s Legacy Business Program is the first-of-its-kind in the U.S. The program supports and promotes iconic, small businesses over 30 years in operation that are long-standing pillars of our communities and neighborhoods.

San Francisco Heritage (est. 1971), has protected the city in the face of rapid change by advocating for historic resources, hosting educational programming, and interpreting and preserving cultural heritage. The Legacy Business Program (est. 2015) provides marketing, business assistance, and specialized grants for local small businesses included on the Legacy Business Registry.

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Host or Publisher San Francisco Heritage