Sonoma's Fremont Diner abruptly closes its doors

Fremont Diner, the popular roadside diner that has attracted throngs of both tourists and locals for the past ten years, abruptly closed this week.

Located just off Fremont Drive in the Schellville area between Sonoma and Carneros, the diner was owned and operated by chef Chad Harris and his wife Erika.

In a press release distributed on Wednesday afternoon, Harris said that the decision to close Fremont's doors wasn't an easy one, "but it was made in the spirit of personal preservation and ongoing innovation, and not necessity."

Fremont was a media darling for the past decade, written up as a must-visit Sonoma destination in publications from Oprah Magazine to Goop, and Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle to Food & Wine Magazine, where it was named as one of the “best diners” in America.

Details about the closure were scanty.

“We are so grateful to all of those people and purveyors who supported us over the years," said Chad Harris in the release. "We put our hearts and souls into every part of this place and the fact that so many people joined us for a plate of warm food is a greater measure of success than we could have hoped for. Closing the Diner is a truly a lifestyle choice at this point, and a chance to create something fresh and new for our community; we're not done quite yet, so please stay tuned.”

The space where the diner stands on Fremont Drive is owned by Harris and according to Wednesday's announcement, plans for another food concept by the same team are already in the works. A spokesperson confirmed that the Harris's still plan to develop the gas station at 899 Broadway into a restaurant as well.

She confirmed that both the space where the diner is and the location on Broadway will open as reimagined food concepts, that could be the same or could differ slightly by location.

Signs at the 76 gas station on Wednesday stated that the station's last day of operations is June 30.

More to follow.