“Historic Bay Area Restaurant Catches Fire Ahead of Major Redevelopment”
An early morning fire severely damaged the vacant Bo Town Seafood Restaurant in San Jose, a once-popular establishment now set to make way for a billion-dollar mixed-use housing project. The San Jose Fire Department responded to the fire at 5:11 a.m. on Thursday and managed to extinguish the flames by 6:46 a.m. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, although the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Bo Town was a local favorite for decades, known for its Chinese and Vietnamese seafood dishes, including a wide array of fried rice and noodle options. It opened in the early 1990s but closed its doors in 2019 under unclear circumstances.
The restaurant was notable for its distinctive Googie architectural style, characterized by its quirky and futuristic zigzag roof, a popular design in the mid-20th century. The site also has a controversial history, having housed the infamous Sambo’s restaurant chain before Bo Town, which faced significant backlash over its racist name and ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 1981.
In 2022, the San Jose City Council approved plans for a new 30-story mixed-use high-rise to replace the restaurant, which will include up to 540 residential units along with retail space on the ground floor. Real estate developer Westbank has committed to preserving the building’s historic Googie-style roof and the original Bo Town sign as part of the redevelopment.
Earlier this year, reports indicated that Westbank missed its projected deadline to begin construction last October. However, the developer expected to start work in the first half of 2024. SFGATE reached out to Westbank for updates on the construction timeline and to inquire whether the recent fire would cause further delays, but the company had not responded by the time of publication.
