The Old Sacramento Waterfront has a vacant, dark hole instead of a beautiful dining spot with the best views in town. Mark and Stephanie Miller closed Rio City Café Aug. 3, ending 30 years as a family-run landmark.
The café’s landlord was the city of Sacramento. City officials didn’t maintain the building as required under lease terms. Most egregious was the city’s neglectful approach to the river deck that produced 70% of the restaurant’s revenue.
Rather than make repairs, the city ordered the deck closed for safety reasons. And the city rejected efforts by the Millers to fund a temporary measure to reopen the deck while permanent fixes were planned, approved and funded.
A day after Rio City’s closure was announced in late July, Mayor Darrell Steinberg hurriedly organized a press conference to announce a $40 million plan to revitalize Old Sac with money from Measure N.
At one point in discussions, Steinberg suggested the restaurant’s demise was due to the Millers’ retirement, rather than the city’s negligence. This was news to the Millers, who had no plans to retire.
“Though we were surprised by the announcement, we thought maybe this would help us, but in the end, it was just all talk and blame shifting by the city,” Stephanie Miller says. “And most frustrating was the mayor’s inference that we were interested in retiring, which was 100% not true.”
The closure brought dismay from former City Manager John Shirey, who recruited the Millers to move from Colorado 10 years ago and take over operations at their family’s restaurant.
“Rio City Café, with its prime location on the river, has been one of the best reasons to visit Old Sacramento over the years,” Shirey says. “It is regrettable that a viable way was not found by our city to enable the business to remain open, serving visitors and residents. The Miller family members have been responsible stewards of the city’s asset for 30 years.”
As a friend of the Millers, I find the demise of Rio City a deeply personal disappointment and significant loss for the city.
I’m sure Shirey—the best city manager during my decades as a small business operator and entrepreneur—would have found a way to keep this Old Sac treasure open and thriving.
It’s ironic that the city’s treatment of the Millers would never be tolerated from a private landlord.
But with the city as Rio City’s landlord, the only recourse is a shuttered building at the prime and historic location where the city came alive during the Gold Rush. The cost of this civic failure will far exceed the price of a new deck.
The city’s economic development staff—29 employees strong—says it is “committed to promoting and assisting in the success of our businesses.” What a shame all that promotion and assistance never bothered to book a reservation at Rio City Café.
Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
