Top-Tier Coffee, South Asian Ice Cream, and Boba Will Fill Vacant Storefronts in SoMa

Koolfi Creamery, known for its South Asian ice cream, will open an outpost in San Francisco.

A new crop of eight businesses will come swinging into downtown San Francisco in the coming months. The city’s Vacant to Vibrant program, a joint effort with the nonprofit SF New Deal and the Office of Economic Workforce and Development (OEWD), is back this spring to provide reduced or free leases to entrepreneurs throughout the Bay Area. Thankfully, that means more primo food and drink in the mix.

The incoming businesses include five new places to get coffee, groceries, and treats. JUMA Ventures’ Steep Creamery, Paper Son Coffee, Aurora Centro, Hungry Crumbs, and Koolfi Creamery will all be opening locations in San Francisco thanks to the program. According to a press release, these five — in addition to 7×7 Social Club, SAINTFLORA, and Public Glass Gallery — were selected from more than 1,200 applications. The inbound class of operators will be spread throughout the East Cut, Financial District, and Yerba Buena.

Alex Pong of Paper Son Coffee

Alex Pong’s Paper Son Coffee has become a front-runner in the San Francisco coffee scene, bringing inventive Asian American flavors alongside thoughtful pour-over services. The duo behind Koolfi Creamery, Priti Narayanan and Madhuri Anji, come to the city from the East Bay presenting South Asian-inspired ice cream such as banana paired with gulab jamun bites. Aurora Centro — the sister location to Potrero Hill’s Alimentari Aurora — will sell tinned fish, cheeses, and meats. From the Bayview’s Mohamed Ali Abdelmeguid, operator of Egyptian outfit Hungry Cafe, the new Hungry Crumbs will offer standard cookies like chocolate chip alongside riffs such as lemon curd. Last but not least, JUMA Ventures’ Steep Creamery is a youth-led boba shop, meaning underserved young people learn job skills while preparing to-go teas and snacks; the organization has a location in the Mission District, too.

These businesses join a number of food and beverage options that stayed open after the first round of Vacant to Vibrant debuts. Whack Donuts remains open on the Embarcadero, though roving pop-up and roaster Deathless Coffee has taken over the bar from York Street Coffee. Also in the Embarcadero, Devil’s Teeth and Rosalind Bakery remain open serving baked goods like cookies and croissants.

Like the first round of operators, each business will open as they’re able. On Thursday, May 9, there will be an admission-free market to sample goods at 333 Market Street from noon to 4 p.m.