There’s a Mini Food Hall in the Works for Upper Haight

Plans for an affordable housing development in the Upper Haight neighborhood also include a miniature food hall, according to the website for the 730 Stanyan project. The 150-unit development targeted to provide housing for “low to moderate-income families as well as families who have experienced homelessness” would take over the currently empty lot on the corner of Stanyan and Haight, just across from the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park. It’s a joint venture between Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) and Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC), in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD).

In addition to the residential units, there appear to be plans for a mini food hall space that “fronts the Haight Street then wraps around to Stanyan Street facing the Golden Gate Park,” per the website. The developers are currently looking for a master tenant to run the mini food hall, which will have four kiosk spaces. According to the request for proposals, which are due in mid-April, an ideal master tenant would be a 501c3, or not-for-profit, organization with “proven success in delivering services to an economically and socially diverse clientele and of a strong commitment to affordability and serving the neighboring community.”

Bay Area BJ’s to close, triggering layoffs

BJ’s, the restaurant and brewery chain with locations across the Bay Area and country, is closing its location at San Rafael’s Northgate Mall, the San Francisco Business Times reports. That means about 90 Bay Area workers will be laid off — another blow in an ongoing storm of job cuts that’s impacted the tech, dining, and logistics industries in the region, per the Mercury News. In all, the paper counts some 300 jobs lost during the most recent round of layoffs.

Checking in at La Ciccia

Fans of Sardinian cuisine specialist La Ciccia were devasted to learn the owners of the cherished Noe Valley restaurant were selling the business back in May 2022. Now, the San Francisco Chronicle is checking in on the restaurant under its new owner. The paper reports initial plans to sell the restaurant to a South Bay restaurant group fell through, leaving La Ciccia in the hands of real estate broker and longtime La Cicca regular Cheryl Maloney. Much of the staff stayed on after the transition, which means “under Maloney’s ownership, very little at La Ciccia has changed,” fans should be relieved to hear.

Shuttered restaurant to host a one-day garage sale

Mark your calendars for March 4, when chef Peter Hemsley of the recently closed Palette restaurant will be having a one-day garage sale. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and items up for grabs will include “mouth-blown wine glasses by Sam Schumacher of Rocket Glass Works and the ceramics of Black Wing Clay, as well as one-of-a-kind art pieces and amazing décor,” per an email from a spokesperson. The restaurant expects demand to be high and is advising shoppers to arrive early and bring their own bags and boxes.

Palette