Benkyodo, the mochi mecca of San Francisco's Japantown, is closing its doors later this month after more than a century in business.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
The company announced on its website that it will close for good on March 31, thanking customers "for your years of support and patronage" since its inception in 1906.
Benkyodo's lines are almost as famous as its sweet Japanese treats, starting hours before its scheduled opening at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and stretching more than 100 people long during one of its final days in business.
"Well, I actually live in Boston," a customer named Ashley told KCBS Radio. "My friend is also here, but she had to catch her flight, so I'm getting mochi and bringing it back to Boston for her."
Almost as famous.
"I know I'm supposed to get the seasonal fruit one for my friend," Ashley said. "Otherwise, just probably one of everything if I can get it."
Benkyodo is open until 3 p.m., or until they sell out, every day except Sunday and Monday. That makes waiting in its infamous line even more of a gamble during the store's final days.
One customer from San Jose told KCBS Radio on Tuesday she began waiting in line at 6 a.m., while another said he wasn’t one of the first when he arrived at 7:30.
“Half of the block was already lined up by the time we were here,” he said.
Bringing a chair made Tuesday made the wait far more comfortable for Alvin.
“I just saw people on Yelp with lines of chairs,” the San Francisco resident told KCBS Radio. “So I just thought, why not?”
Almost a block away from Benkyodo, T.J. brought a great attitude to the back of the line.
“Oh, it’s daunting, but I’m hopeful,” he told KCBS Radio, adding he would love to get the strawberry mochi but would happily settle for even “two little pieces” of what they have.
T.J. said his father spent years working in Japan, introducing his family to the country’s culture and inspiring his love for it. If he couldn’t get any mochi on Tuesday, he said he would come again on his days off on Saturday or a week from Tuesday.
“You know, I love these places that have been a part of the city for so long,” he said. “And I want to get one last taste while I can.”
He wasn’t the last person in Benkyodo’s line for long on Tuesday, either. The man who lined up behind T.J. quipped that he was intimidated by the queue in front of him.
LISTEN to KCBS Radio
FAVORITE KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
