Beloved Chit Chat Cafe at closed Pacifica Municipal Pier demolished

Demolition of a beloved café at the closed Pacifica Municipal Pier began on Tuesday after being red-tagged last week.

Heavy equipment began tearing into the Chit Chat Café at about 11 a.m. The café, a local favorite at the base of the pier since the 1990s, was shut down when cracks were observed forming in the pier's concrete last week. 

The pier has been closed at times during strong winter storms and heavy waves, but the cause of the current structural damage has is still being assessed by structural engineers. 

Owners of the café said the demolition began before they were allowed to go in and retrieve any of their equipment or belongings, and the community is rallying to help them with an online fundraiser.

On Monday night the Pacifica City Council extended an emergency declaration over the pier's condition, which has worsened from cracks in the concrete to a large chasm. It is not yet know whether the pier itself, built in 1973, will be repaired or demolished and rebuilt.

In December 2023, the pier was closed after high tides and large waves damaged it. The pier reopened weeks later after undergoing nearly $20 million in repairs.