Historic Willie Bird’s location in Santa Rosa to reopen as new restaurant

After Willie Bird's turkey restaurant flew the coop from its longtime Santa Rosa Avenue location in 2021, the future of the crumbling Hofbrau was uncertain. For several years, the iconic, nearly 1-acre property stood quietly decaying, increasingly hidden by graffiti and weeds.

But local restaurateur and real estate developer Sonu Chandi, president of Chandi Hospitality, saw both a short- and long-term opportunity for revitalization in the crumbling asphalt and peeling paint.

In June, it will reopen as a Mountain Mike’s Pizza.

Over the last several months, Chandi Hospitality has quietly rehabbed the interior of the 4,663-square-foot building that first opened in 1961 as Stein Haus Hofbrau; it later became the turkey-centric Willie Bird's and finally The Bird (which relocated to 4776 Sonoma Highway in 2021).

Though the exterior is still recognizable with its steeply pitched roof and faux-Germanic style, the interior will have a clean, open layout with white walls and exposed beams, according to floor plans, and serve pizza, salads, sandwiches and chicken wings along with beer and wine.

The move coincides with the closure of Chandi Hospitality's Santa Rosa Avenue Mountain Mike's Pizza location just 0.7 miles south at 2280 Santa Rosa Ave. That location’s final day is May 26, ending their 15-year lease at the Santa Rosa Marketplace.

“We were looking at nearby options to find a property to own, and as we dug deeper, we found that the property at 1150 Santa Rosa Ave. was a great fit,” Chandi said.

But there's a bigger play in the long-term plans for the real estate at 1150 Santa Rosa Ave., Chandi said. Over the next several years, his company plans to build a mixed-used development on the site that will include 30 to 40 apartments, a Mountain Mike's Pizza and a retail shop on the property.

“We want to be part of the solution to housing in Sonoma County. We are looking at how restaurants and hospitality new developments can play a role in that,” said Chandi. The local hospitality group sees potential in creating new housing on underutilized commercial properties near transit and existing residential neighborhoods.

“This property is a great example. We don't need to change any ordinance; we just need to spend the time to come up with a plan that makes financial sense,” said Chandi.

The news comes on the heels of Chandi Hospitality's recent announcement to bring 10 Chicken Guy! restaurant franchises to Northern California, with the first opening this summer in American Canyon. Other locations in the deal include Conta Costa, Alameda, Solano, Mendocino, Humboldt, Yolo and Marin counties.

There are no immediate plans to open in Sonoma County, according to Chandi.

Founded in 2007, Chandi Hospitality owns and operates seven Mountain Mike’s Pizza locations in the North Bay and oversees an additional 10. The company also operates Cookies dispensary in Ukiah, and Beer Baron in Santa Rosa.