The line snakes out the door on a recent morning at Market Street’s All Star Cafe, where business is brisk for the breakfast rush. The line never dips below four deep as the two employees working behind the counter greet each customer with a cheerful good morning, knowing many of the regulars’ orders unprompted.
“This is two days in a row I’ve been here,” said one pleased-looking apple fritter purchaser to the woman ringing him up. “My god, it’s good.”
At the nexus of Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue, All Star is surrounded by skyscrapers — the sparkling glass of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency building, the giant apartment complex at 100 Van Ness Ave., the luxury housing at The Oak.
How has this tiny, squat building managed to become the building that development forgot? It won’t be, for long.
The San Francisco Planning Department gave the go-ahead in 2017 to the One Oak residential development project for a 40-story, 400-foot tall tower at 1540 Market St.
While the revised proposal — since updated multiple times — changes the balance of retail, parking and residential apartments, the fate of the All Star is ultimately the same: Demolition.
The next hearing for the project is March 19. The cafe owner could not be reached for comment.
“At this time, Planning does not have a specific timeline for demolition of the existing building, as that would occur only after the building permit is issued,” said Candace SooHoo, operations and digital communications manager for the department. The project sponsor Brynn McKiernan, who could not be reached for comment, would have up to three years from the approval date to obtain the necessary building permits and begin construction.
There’s still a lot of time for bagel sandwiches between now and then, and the All Star keeps shining bright, a tiny light in a universe of supernovas.
With breakfast sandwiches starting at $5.50 and the entire pastry board — from danishes to BBQ pork buns to ham and cheese croissants — coming in at $4.50, the prices likely keep people returning. Plus, there’s the hours: The All Star Cafe is one of the few 24-hour operations in the city (another rare round-the-clock operation, the Silver Crest Diner in Bernal Heights, shuttered in 2024).
There’s nowhere to sit in the 900-square-foot, bare-bones All Star: you line up, order, and get out. Your drip coffee is served to you — two flavors as well as a medium roast are on offer — and a number from one to three indicates how much cream you want pumped in. The most popular items in the morning are the breakfast sandwiches and, no surprise, the donuts and pastries, temptingly lined up under the glass.
Asier B., who works in the area, comes to the cafe every morning for his medium coffee. “They’re super nice so I like to support them,” he said. “This is a hard corner, and I want them to feel safe.”
“They’re so lovely,” agreed repeat customer Elena Pinnen. But it’s not only the great service that brings her in for her regular cappuccinos. “It’s really good quality,” she said. “I’m Italian — and I’m able to drink it.”
“I’m so glad you’re writing a story about them,” Pinnen said. “They deserve it.”
