Telling customers it’s time for a new chapter in his life, the owner of midtown Palo Alto’s popular Mike’s Diner Cafe closed the restaurant at the end of service on Father’s Day.

“This has been the most difficult decision of my long restaurant career,” Mike Wallau said in a statement, “but after 30 years running various Mike’s eateries, it’s time for me to change direction, focus on my family, and grow my restaurant consulting business.”

The news comes less than a year after Wallau, with the support of neighbors, prevailed in an eviction battle.

The restaurant had been embroiled in mediation efforts with the property owner, Scher Holdings LLC, after Wallau paid rent one day late last July, a delay caused by a family medical emergency. He reached an agreement to continue to operate the restaurant, and the outpouring of community support was a key factor, he said at the time. A petition urging the Palo Alto City Council to help the diner stay open gathered more than 1,450 signatures.

Over the years, Wallau had also owned two other restaurants, Mike’s Cafe Menlo Park and Portola Kitchen.

Before the shutdown, he said he has arranged for another family-oriented restaurant group to take over the space. Details will be released soon, the new tenants said.

“I want to thank all my customers, supporters, staff, friends, and family for their patronage, loyalty, and all the great times we’ve shared,” Wallau said in his closing. “The sun may be setting on Mike’s Diner Bar, but it’s a fresh start for a new Midtown restaurant, and a new dawn for me.”

Cult-fave Nippon Curry expands to Berkeley

Tokyo-based chain Hinoya Curry, which opened a rabidly popular location in San Francisco a few years ago called Nippon Curry, has debuted a second spot across from the university campus in Berkeley.

Nippon Curry Berkeley’s menu features its trademark Japanese beef, pork katsu and karaage (fried chicken) furries, which are quite different from Indian curries — subtly spiced and sweeter. The curries come with a side of rice and punchy, firetruck-red Japanese pickles.

There are plentiful Hinoya Curry operations around Tokyo, all using a proprietary curry formula that has drawn a cult fanbase. The company has won in Japan’s Kanda Curry Grand Prix — yes, that’s a thing, celebrating this specific type of dish.

The San Francisco location’s owners, Barry Louie and Thomas Uehara, have said in the past that they “want to make Japanese curry more mainstream — like ramen or sushi or wonton noodles.” The Berkeley restaurant is just one more step on the restaurant chain’s quest to put more spots in America, according to Berkeleyside’s Nosh.

Details >> 2512 Bancroft Way, Berkeley; www.nipponcurry.com

Hello Kitty bringing new sweets to San Jose, Pleasanton

It’s the little pink truck that keeps on truckin’ — to the delight of fans.

The Hello Kitty Cafe has embarked on her summer of 2024 tour, with plans to roll through the Bay Area. The winsome whiskered one and her sweet snack van will make stops in July in San Jose and Pleasanton.

Fans of this ultra-popular Sanrio creation find this cafe on wheels and Kitty’s offerings absolutely adorable. Besides macarons and other sweets, products include T-shirts, bow-shaped water bottles, plush toys and enamel pins.

And there’s new merch for Kitty’s 50th anniversary: a plush blanket, new three-cookie package, keychain, patches and more.

Here’s the schedule. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at both venues: July 13, San Jose, Santana Row (near Maggiano’s on Olin Avenue); and July 20, Pleasanton, Stoneridge Shopping Center (near Cheesecake Factory).

Send restaurant news tips to Linda Zavoral at lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com, Kate Bradshaw at kbradshaw@bayareanewsgroup.com or John Metcalfe at jmetcalfe@bayareanewsgroup.com.