SAN FRANCISCO — For years, people walking along Grant Avenue could look up at the former Empress of China but had little reason — or opportunity — to go inside.
That changes Sept. 12. The historic Chinatown building at 838 Grant Avenue will open to the public for a free community event as its new owner begins planning the property’s next chapter.
The Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative, or CMAC, says doors will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a formal ceremony and performances beginning at 1 p.m. A free RSVP is available.
When can the public go inside the Empress of China?
The open house runs 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. If the performances and ceremony are the main reason for your visit, plan to be there before 1 p.m. rather than treating 4 p.m. as an arrival time.
CMAC describes the event as the first of multiple opportunities for community engagement around the building’s future, which means Sept. 12 is an opening conversation rather than a grand reopening of the old restaurant.
What is happening inside?
The organizer’s program combines history, art and community performance. CMAC says the first-floor space will use archival imagery and community storytelling, with hands-on art and cultural programming alongside the afternoon ceremony.
The important distinction is that visitors are being invited into the building as it enters a planning and reimagining process. This is not an announcement that the former Empress restaurant is returning in its old form.
Why is the building significant?
The Empress of China building has been part of the Grant Avenue skyline since 1966. For generations of San Franciscans and visitors, the restaurant was associated with banquet dining and elevated views above Chinatown.
CMAC says the property returned to community ownership in 2026. The organization is now exploring a future cultural use for the building, and the Sept. 12 open house is meant to bring the public into that process.
Do you need to RSVP?
The event is free and CMAC provides a free RSVP. Registering is the most sensible option if you know you are going because it gives the organizer an attendance count and puts you in the event’s official information flow.
SF News Today has not found a paid ticket requirement for the public open house.
Getting there by Muni
Chinatown is easier by transit than by hunting for curb parking. The 1 California serves Clay Street near Grant Avenue, while the 30 Stockton and 45 Union/Stockton serve the Stockton Street side of Chinatown.
Those routes leave a walk through the neighborhood rather than a drive through the busiest blocks around Grant.
Where can you park in Chinatown?
The nearby Portsmouth Square Garage at 733 Kearny Street is one option, but SFMTA says availability is constrained while Portsmouth Square construction continues. Spaces are first-come, first-served.
If being inside for the 1 p.m. program matters, transit is more predictable than circling Chinatown while the open house is already underway.