After years of pop-ups, Automat chef Matthew Kirk announced he's found a permanent home in the space.

Kirk, a former sous chef at the Mission's Lazy Bear, will be teaming up with Lazy Bear chef/owner David Barzelay on the project. Barzelay also co-owns Mission cocktail bar True Laurel, a collaboration with Lazy Bear's onetime bar director Nicolas Torres.

Automat chef Matthew Kirk (center) at a pop-up he hosted at El Rio. | Photo: James Carnes/Flickr

“It is going to be A LOT of hard work, but I can’t wait to have a place in the community where everything started…where my kids can come visit and see all your faces." " Kirk wrote in an Instagram story.

Kirk did not respond to a request for comment. But a recent article in Vogue offers a brief blurb about the coming restaurant, noting that it will offer New American items such as a fried chicken sandwich with seaweed and green goddess dressing and dill-pickle-spiced bagels. It will likely debut in the late fall or early winter of 2020. 

Automat's chicken sandwiches. | Photo: Automat/Facebook

Over the past three and a half years, Kirk has hosted pop-up meals at Wesburger, New Taraval Cafe, and Daily Driver. He also offers a monthly "bread box" delivery that allows customers to receive three types of bread delivered to their door for $35. 

At the moment, it's unclear if the pop-ups will continue while Kirk gets the new restaurant off the ground. We'll update this story if we learn more. 

Source: Hoodline