San Francisco Indie Beer Darling Fort Point Permanently Closes Haight Street Outpost

Fort Point Beer Company, the San Francisco-based independent brewery recognizable for its handsome and vaguely art deco-style cans of kolsch style ale and hoppy lager, has closed one of its locations. SFGATE first reported the permanent closure of the brewery’s taproom on Haight near Prince Street, citing a post on the brewery’s Instagram. Fans guzzled their final pints of hazy IPAs on Sunday, June 26, the post indicates. “After thousands of beers and hotdogs [sic] consumed, countless neighborhood friends made, hundreds of fuzzy dog visits, 2.5 years, and one tiny parklet constructed, we are saying ‘so long’ to our Lower Haight location,” the post reads in part. Fort Point purchased the former Black Sands brewpub space in late 2018.

Fort Point Beer Co. CEO Justin Catalana tells the San Francisco Chronicle the decision to close the Lower Haight location will allow the brewery to focus on its wholesale business and other locations, one at the iconic Ferry Building and the other on Valencia in the Mission. The former opened to much fanfare in October 2019, touted as the company’s new flagship location with a full lineup of fresh beer and a food menu from executive chef Eric Ehler (Mister Jiu’s, Black Sands — now Outta Sight). “The decision was made to do fewer things but do them better,” Catalana tells the Chronicle.

Square Pie Guys opens at Ghirardelli Square this weekend

Locally famous Detroit-style pizza savants Square Pie Guys will debut their new location at San Francisco’s iconic Ghirardelli Square on Saturday, July 2, the Chronicle reports. As Eater SF announced in February the location will become the company’s new flagship, serving an expanded menu including the JLin pizza ($24.50) inspired by former NBA basketball player Jeremy Lin, which will be a rotating special.

Chick-fil-a plots Emeryville outpost

Chick-fil-a, the controversial fast food giant known for its chicken sandwiches and anti-LGBTQ associations, hopes to open a location in Emeryville, the E’ville Eye spotted first. The company filed plans to take over a former Panera Bread location — and already neighborhood residents are raising a fuss not only over the company’s political leanings, but also the potential for traffic issues stemming from the business moving into the area.

Popular South Bay breakfast sandwich spot expands with new location

The Mercury News reports Egghead Sando Cafe, a San Jose restaurant known for its “delicate Japanese-style egg sandwiches,” will open a second location in downtown San Jose this year.

Bakers Against Racism plan community bake sale this Saturday

James Beard Award-winning community bake sale fundraiser (unofficially, the largest in the world) Bakers Against Racism pops up in San Francisco, specifically at the Walter Haas Playground near Noe Valley, this Saturday, July 2 at 11 a.m. to raise money for reproductive care, according to an Instagram post from baker Elisa Sunga, who goes by Salted Rye on Instagram. Launched in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 health crisis, Bakers Against Racism has since helped bakers around the world raise more than $2 million for causes including the Ukrainian war and in support of the AAPI community.