May 6, 2026 – San Francisco, California
A famous burger shop in San Francisco's Mission District has officially closed following intense controversy surrounding a photo of raw beef left on the street in hot weather.
Hamburger Project confirmed it has ceased operations at its Guerrero Street location after months of struggling.
Co-owner Tan Truong stated that the restaurant "did not reach the necessary volume of customers" to maintain operations in the area.
The controversy erupted last month when images of four rolls of raw ground beef and a jar of mayonnaise left on the sidewalk went viral on social media. According to the posts, a delivery driver left the food because no one was available to receive it, sending a message: “Hiiii, I don’t have time.”
Food safety experts warned that raw meat and mayonnaise left in the heat can become dangerous in less than an hour due to rapid bacterial growth.
Following the incident, the restaurant asserted that all the food was immediately destroyed and delivery protocols were changed to prevent a recurrence of the situation.
In addition to “burger-gate,” the restaurant faced further backlash when chef Geoffrey Lee faced allegations of using offensive language and behaving inappropriately toward a local influencer following a negative review. Public pressure led Lee to depart from several associated restaurants, including Hamburger Project.
The location at 598 Guerrero Street has long been known in the local community for restaurants that open and close within short periods. Some have even dubbed it a “cursed location” due to a strange history dating back to the 19th century.
