SF's historic Cliff House restaurant vandalized one day after closure

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco's historic Cliff House restaurant was vandalized just a day after closing permanently.

Pictures submitted from a viewer show large black letters spray painted on the iconic white walls. City staff were seen painting over the graffiti on Friday.

Just 24 hours prior on New Year's Eve, the iconic sign was removed from the building.

RELATED: Boarded up hotels, empty restaurants: A look at the final day of 2020 in San Francisco

Cliff House, which first opened in 1896, announced in early December that the restaurant would close permanently at the end of the year.

MORE: After 70 years, Lafayette's El Charro Mexican restaurant announces it's shutting down

The owners, Dan and Mary Hountalas, say the closure was caused by delays from the National Park Service in reaching a long-term operating contract. The owners added that the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the problems.