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It sucks to get your car stolen, but it sucks extra hard when your car is also your Mexican bakery on wheels. Such is the scenario for Zeledon’s, a South Bay panadería, after thieves stole owners Juan Carlos Soto and Ernesto Botello’s van and then totaled it. The entrepreneurs posted on Instagram letting fans know they’ve set up a GoFundMe to raise the $20,000 needed to get fully functional once again. In just two days, they’ve raised over $13,000.
The San Francisco Standard reports the traveling confectionary gained a huge following in summer 2022 when its exploits went viral on TikTok. By the end of the season the small business was featured on national media outlets, and by the start of 2023 the owners told the outlet they plan to open a permanent location in the San Joaquin Valley. When the “pan van” and its first storefront will be open at this point remains to be determined.
Popular sushi restaurant’s second location opens on Valencia Street
Kuma Sushi + Sake, the sleek Polk Street counter teaming up with True Sake for its new outpost, will open its doors in the Mission District on June 23. The owners let Eater SF know they held a few soft openings throughout the week, but Friday is the grand opening followed by regular service.
Lab-grown meat approved for sale in U.S.
UPSIDE Foods’ cultivated chicken — meaning meat grown from cells in a lab rather than a plant-based alternative to animal protein — completed its pre-market regulatory review process. That means the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it’s okay to sell its 99 percent chicken cell-based meat, and the company’s first customer is Bar Crenn in San Francisco. This legal decision and buyer makes UPSIDE and Bar Crenn the first companies in the United States to sell lab-grown meat in a restaurant.
Castro sandwich shop expands its menu in a big way
Just in time for Pride weekend, Castro District pastrami extraordinaire Hot Johnnie’s added a bevy of new options to its menu. Beyond the brined sandwiches the shop now offers ribs, porchetta, chicken wings, stuffed potato skins, and crispy fried wontons. The expanded menu is available for pickup from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
San Francisco pizzeria and music venue link up
Outta Sight Pizza, one of the city’s tastiest slices, just slid behind the counter at the Great American Music Hall. According to an Instagram post, the restaurant will sell its hallmark pies in addition to salads, sandwiches, and wings at the classic music venue.
