Papito Expansion, Chain Grocery Headed to Hayes Valley

Hayes Valley has become one of SF's most change-happy neighborhoods over the past few years, and now two new food projects are coming onto the scene there: a Mexican restaurant and a grocery store. After Hayeswire reported last week that the owners of Chez Maman might be expanding to the freshly shuttered Moishe's Pippic, it turns out that they are indeed taking the space, for a second location of their French-influenced taqueria Papito. As Inside Scoop reports, the new location (known as Papito West) will be more of a sit-down affair than the original Papito in Potrero Hill, offering a raw bar specializing in ceviches and a more refined menu. The space will require a full kitchen buildout from owner Jocelyn Bulow, with hopes of opening sometime in the spring. Chez Maman's Hayes Valley location currently serves a selection of "Papito represents" Mexican dishes on their menu; presumably, these will go away once the new location opens its doors.

Meanwhile, Curbed SF reports that the plans for something Hayes Valley has long lacked—a grocery store—are going before the Planning Commission tonight in the hopes of securing a formula-retail exemption. With no local small businesses looking to get into the supermarket game, supporters are hoping to clear the way for some kind of small specialty grocery store to take the space; SFist speculates that it might be a Trader Joe's, since Whole Foods already has a sizable area presence with its Pacific Heights and Castro stores, and the chain's initial attempt at expanding to the Castro didn't work out.

· Papito West headed to Hayes Valley [Inside Scoop]
· Chez Maman Team Taking Over Moishe's Pippic Space [Hayeswire]
· Formula Retail Ban to be Lifted for 555 Fulton Site [Curbed SF]