Another summer, and another slew of new businesses arrive in the Mission. Check out what’s leaving and what’s coming, below.
Cha Cha Cha
Walking past Cha Cha Cha the night of June 29, you wouldn’t know the illustrious tapas spot would be closing after 25 years in the Mission. In fact, the owner, Ifran Yalcin, delayed the closing three extra days to have a proper farewell for the restaurant.
With rising building costs and fewer sales due to the pandemic, the restaurant will turn off its stoves for good July 4.
But the fountains of sangria are not gone forever. All workers will go to the original location, at 1801 Haight St., and will keep the doors open to serve their Cuban-inspired dishes.
Breakfast Little
Breakfast Little, a local business based in the Mission, at 3224 1/2 22nd St., won’t remain little for long. Instead, they are expanding and moving to a brand new location a block away, at 3275 22nd St., on July 9.
After rearranging its indoor space to take orders from the window for the pandemic, the breakfast spot quickly became a staple for breakfast burritos and tater tots in the neighborhood. With the lease on its current location expiring, the owners acquired their new spot within two weeks of it becoming available.
To celebrate the expansion, there will be an opening celebration July 9 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a DJ, lots of coffee and, of course, breakfast bites.
Healthyish Republic
Mediterranean, vegan, paleo, keto, and, phew, gluten-free: Healthyish Republic checks all the boxes for healthy.
From oodles of zoodles to vegan burgers to healthyish cookies (so they promise), you will never run out of options at Healthyish Republic. Mint-green tiles, white countertops and fake plants fill the space, giving the restaurant a clean and modern look. Healthyish Republic is currently open for takeout at 2990 24th St., the former Son’s Addition spot, whose owners are focusing on its sister restaurant, Otra, at Pierce and Haight streets.
In December, 2020, Mission Local awarded the great burger war win to Son’s Addition. Maybe it’s time for another burger war to see how Healthyish Republic stacks up (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).
Healthyish Republic will have its grand opening July 6 and is open every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can follow it on Instagram to learn more about its offerings.
‘‘Til Death Do Us Party:’ Dahlia Lounge replaces The Armory Club
Dahlia Lounge is serving up what it describes as “sinfully delicious” cocktails at 14th and Mission Streets.
The bar opened earlier this month and features a short cocktail list, red neon signs and a wall of skulls (the perfect Instagram background). Whether you want to go “Grunge” and get a smoky cocktail, or go “Punk” and have the bartender pour you a shot and beer for $12, Dahlia Lounge is sure to offer you a good time.
Dahlia Lounge is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Check out its Instagram to keep up with their live music performances.
Mau closed. A new Taishoken location opens.
If you’ve walked down Valencia Street between 17th and 18th streets lately, you may have noticed a Mau-shaped hole between Hotel Tropica and Curry Up Now.
It’s been a tumultuous ride for Mau. Five years after opening on Valencia, in 2012, a tense rental negotiation between Mau and the building’s landlords pushed the store to the brink of closure. But the store persevered. At least for a bit longer. After a couple more years of dishing out reliable pho (in the restaurant pre-pandemic, at people’s doorsteps mid-pandemic), the Vietnamese restaurant officially ended service at the Mission location on December 18, 2021, before downsizing to a smaller venue at 188 Spear St. in January, 2022.
With Mau out, a new restaurant is in. According to the posting outside the boarded-up building at 655 Valencia St., Taishoken, a popular Japanese ramen restaurant in San Mateo, is taking over the lease. The restaurant announced on Instagram that it will open the new location in July, 2022.
Ian James Made joins the Mission.
Hey, Valencia Street. There’s another new store on the block.
Based on the sign posted on the corner of 14th and Valencia streets, Ian James Made, a queer-owned retail store, is moving right across the street from the all-day coffee shop Milk SF (also queer-owned).
The business is taking over the building at 303 Valencia St., and specializes in leather goods, handmade bags, and home decor.
More details about the store’s opening are coming soon. Learn more about Ian James Made here.
Mx3 Fitness moves in
Summer is here, and so is Mx3 Fitness.
Opening at 3166 16th St., this Mission District location is offering “on-your-own” workout memberships, personal training and nutrition coaching. Mx3 Fitness also has locations in the Castro and Lower Haight, and will be taking the place of San Francisco Barber Shop on 16th.
Mx3 Fitness’ “on-your-own” workout memberships allow you to work out in a designated “fitness zone,” a personal 200-square-foot space where you have access to all the equipment you need. If you’re tired of sharing equipment or waiting your turn at the gym, this may be the place for you.
Learn more about Mx3 Fitness’ Mission location here.
Flour + Water becomes Yellow Moto
Flour + Water, a restaurant in the Mission marketed as reminding the customers about the simple things in life, closed its doors on June 17.
One of the restaurant’s co-owners, David White, told SF Eater he planned to rebrand to the original location as Yellow Moto, a new, fun pizzeria. Same pizzas. New name. And a full bar and cocktail menu as an added bonus.
If you’re a devoted Flour + Water fan, don’t fret too much. The restaurant’s not obsolete. Flour + Water is scheduled to reopen on Columbus Avenue next year.
Grand Coffee’s grand opening
Oh, that compact coffee shop at 2663 Mission St.? It got a second location, and it’s much bigger.
Grand Coffee, a favorite among Mission coffee drinkers, launched a new cafe spot on June 16. Bonus: it’s a few minutes walk away from the original location, between 21st and 22nd streets, next to the Grand Theater.
The cafe is open from 7 a.m to 5 p.m and continues to serve classic coffee and pastries, but the owners plan to expand the menu to include specialty and seasonal drinks once they acclimate to the new store.
Borderlands Books
Although Borderlands Books already left the Mission on June 9, they pushed the border and landed at a spot in the Haight.
The bookstore has been planning to move ever since they bought a building to be their forever home in 2017, but due to the pandemic and other unexpected factors, including many plumbing problems, their move got delayed until this year.
Their new space isn’t quite ready yet however, so the temporary location is at 1740 Haight Street. The bookstore is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
John’s Kitchen #1
Moving in at 2200 Bryant St., and taking the place of Pho on Bryant, is John’s Kitchen #1.
As of right now, it is unclear when John’s Kitchen #1 is going to officially open.
El Chato
El Chato, a new Spanish taverna, will be moving in at 21st and Bryant streets. It is taking the place of Cafe Murano. This new wine bar aims to be an affordable, low-key spot for Mission residents.
“I mean, we’re going to know our shit, but we’re not here to be, like, fancy,” owner Rafa Saenz said in an interview with Mission Local.
El Chato is hoping to open their doors on August 1. Follow them on Instagram to learn more.
Cha cha cha is staying open as new restaurant serving the same menu. And the staff staying. Basically Cha cha cha with a new name.
Seriously? This, of all websites, is just gonna casually drop an update about Borderlands Books without updating the other major story about them? (TW – sexual assault and domestic abuse: https://missionlocal.org/2020/07/borderlands-books-owner-publicly-accused-of-sexual-assault-by-own-daughter-domestic-violence-by-ex-girlfriend/ ) Granted, the latter story hasn’t seen any updates in over a year, but Mission Local is a website that should be making it a priority that Beatts – abusive predator that he is – doesn’t have his crimes simply vanish into the aether.
Hell, that sickening story is all I can think or write about whenever I pass by Borderlands these days ( https://www.sfweekly.com/opinion/back-to-normal-isnt-good-enough/ ) , and I’m sure it’s even harder for his daughter, ex-girlfriend, and former employees to forget. Neither should we.
I used to go grab a burger and a couple beers at ChaChaCha a few times a month. It wasn’t a tapas bar at the time and played an angle on the Mission’s Irish origins. Super personable staff, that’s in large part why it was so popular. Then Yalcin bought the place and chased the staff away, and that was that. With the new crew, you got better service at your random McD’s. Food and cleanliness went downhill too so I stopped going. Lots of regulars must have felt the same way too. Maybe it caught back on, but I doubt it.