MoMo’s, the restaurant mainstay across the street from San Francisco’s AT&T Park, will officially open a sequel in Walnut Creek next month.

After years of being the go-to pre-game, post-game and sometimes during-game watering hole for San Francisco Giants fans, MoMo’s eastbound expansion seems pretty straightforward in some ways; a Walnut Creek community could be friendlier toward the orange-and-black than, say, Oakland or Emeryville.

But according to MoMo’s owner Peter Osborne, there was another reason for the decisions — and it deals with the current state of San Francisco’s restaurant and bar scene: “It’s just too crowded.”

“You still have to bring your A-game no matter where you are, but the challenges associated with this project on all levels are just less here than what’d they’d be in San Francisco,” Osborne said.

Formerly McCovey’s @ 1444 N. California Boulevard

The new MoMo’s spot, due to open Feb. 13., will occupy the 6,500-square-foot space at 1444 N. California Boulevard that was previously the home of McCovey’s, the sports bar/restaurant named after Giants’ legend Willie McCovey.

As a restaurateur, Osborne has been somewhat insulated from the volatility of the current industry since a number of his projects are close to AT&T Park. The king of King Street also owns Pete’s Tavern and Pedro’s Cantina along the King Street corridor across from the stadium.

Getting out of that bubble meant exposing himself more to the industry’s fluctuating price points, real estate costs and labor shortages. So heading deeper into the east bay made sense, in terms of risk.

“I’ve never seen the industry like it is in today’s world. It’s out of control,” he said.

Downtown Walnut Creek isn’t the King Street corridor during baseball season, but it is in the midst of a retail boom. “This is a new frontier for me,” Osborne said. “I’m fortunate enough to be able to wait for the right time to move and find spaces like this.”

MoMo’s in Walnut Creek: 1444 N. California Boulevard. Opens Feb. 13.

Contact Keith Katzman for Moraga Real Estate: 925.376.7776

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