Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Redwood City continue to approve more and more office space, driving up property values, labor costs and rents. Family businesses are indeed closing and Senior Citizens can't afford the price of a sandwich. DeHoff's Key Market in Redwood City is opening a very nice Deli Counter. Lunch for two, with soft drinks, could easy top $30.00 !

@Elena, if you are "perpetually hungry", maybe you should consider eating some real food instead of kale salad 3x a day?

As to the restaurant and small store closings across the region: If you want to stop that, you first need to stop the subversive socialists letting CA go to hell with their stupid rules and taxes. Good luck!

Real Food, really? Elena went into the Striped Pig for kale salad? Do you even know what a restaurant critic does?

However, I do so agree with you! If we just got rid of stupid rules and taxes, I'm sure landlords would stop gouging rents and developers would invest in small restaurants and stores!

I recommend that you read Gail Collins, who actually knows how to write humorously and well...

Really enjoyed the Striped Pig. Sad to see it closing.

RealFood, perhaps you're the one who needs to find new fare - pretty weird to randomly insult a journalist for the information she's providing you for free. Socialist indeed!

I have never eaten at this restaurant, but I am getting very tired of hearing of popular places closing due to high rents, high staffing costs and the difficulty of getting staff. This is causing us, the public, less choices and more difficulties in getting adequate options for what should be a simple pleasure, eating away from home with family and friends.

In my own experience over the past few months I have found that dirty seating areas, unswept floors around tables that have not been wiped down, and condiment stations out of ketchup, napkins or other essentials. I don't mind bussing my own table, but having unkempt seating areas should not be what we expect.

Whether we are eating fast food, custom made sandwiches, or just a lite bite at an affordable restaurant, our standards and expectations are being lowered. We would not expect this type of service anywhere else in the country. Unfortunately we are being forced into it being thought of as the new normal in this area.

Woodside Deli also. This is so sad. But I do have to agree with resident. I am a local resident/home owner and visit many of these establishments during the week and occasionly on the weekend. What I have noticed over the years is untidy restaurants even in local coffee shops, spilled cream or spilled sugar, dirty seats, dirty floor ,employees standing behind the counter but the restaurant or the common area is not maintained. Hey I just paid 17 bucks for a sandwich and a drink and you can't make sure that my seat in my table or wiped down. ????? So I just do not go back . They keep this up, we all eventually will stay home and eat . I can barbecue and sit at a clean table for half the cost.