Before Foreign Cinema made its home on Mission Street, its building — between 21st and 22nd streets — was distinguished by bullet holes on the front facade and a dirt backyard.
In 18 years, the space has transformed into a local attraction and institution with a dreamy outdoor eating area and gleaming interior, and plans for a new wine bar to open soon.
On Thursday, owners Gayle Pirie and John Clark will celebrate Foreign Cinema’s 18th anniversary with a fantastical fete, complete with burlesque dancers and drag queens.
Proceeds from the event will go to the local chapter of the Human Rights Campaign. (Previous birthday events at Foreign Cinema have also been benefits — for organizations like LYRIC and, in one case, for Mission Local).
“Picking our charity this year was so hard, because there’s so many people in need,” Pirie said.
Indeed, while the restaurant is doing well, it’s not lost on these business owners that their city is filled with struggles. These days, they grapple with the city’s modern crisis: Affordability.
Foreign Cinema’s staff struggles with the housing crisis, Pirie said. Meanwhile, their Mission Street business neighbors struggle financially. Many say times have gotten much worse since the city made drastic changes to traffic patterns on Mission Street.
“Between the fire, the traffic patterns and just trying to save our individual family-run businesses on Mission … it doesn’t feel good to be successful when others are not,” Pirie said. “So we’re very grateful, we’re very blessed, we feel extremely lucky to be doing well. But it comes at a cost, it comes at a psychic cost, when smaller businesses on the street are struggling so much.”
Things are hard. And always changing.
“We fight to be relevant every day,” Pirie said — a process she described as fun, but also an ongoing challenge.
Foreign Cinema’s owners have also made it a refuge from turbulent times. Pirie invited the community and visitors from abroad “to come and get a piece of what we do, and take a break from the world, and check out and be with each other away from the mania.”
After all, there’s still hope — especially because the street vendors and neighbors that give Mission Street its character are still holding on.
“Between the housing crunch and just Mission street, the juxtaposition of just these beautiful people still there is what is so hopeful and joyful,” Pirie said.
And with its coming-of-age, Foreign Cinema is expanding. The currently empty portion of the building will become a wine bar operated by Foreign Cinema, showcasing its diverse wine program. Alongside last year’s re-opening of Foreign Cinema’s bar, Laszlo, the wine bar will allow the owners to put the whole building to use.
“There’s a completion in it, like — take a deep breath out,” Pirie said.
Foreign Cinema’s 18th anniversary celebration and fundraiser takes place Thursday, September 28 from 7 to 11 p.m. at 2534 Mission Street. Tickets are available here.