SAN FRANCISCO—La Cocina Municipal Marketplace opened its doors on Monday, April 5, the marketplace is the first female-led food hall to open in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. The food hall will be run by La Cocina, a non-profit kitchen incubator with a mission to help foster businesses run by working class women of color and immigrant women. The food hall will open for take-out initially and will then open it’s doors fully for service this summer.
The 7,000 square foot food hall will be located on 101 Hyde Street and will hold seven restaurants run by entrepreneurs who have gone through La Cocina’s incubation program, “all of whom are women of color whose cuisines reflect the diversity of the neighborhood,” reads a press release from the Marketplace.
La Cocina collaborated with the Office of the Mayor and Tenderloin Housing Clinic in the planning and building of the food hall and it’s current plan to help local food security programs with meal prepping. Chef Jay Foster will serve as Municipal Marketplace Manager for the operation, “Although it’s not the grand opening we had hoped for, we’re moving forward with optimism and excitement,” Foster stated.
The marketplace will be open for business at least through 2025, the city of San Francisco is the principal funder of the project and is leasing 101 Hyde Street property until an affordable housing project begins construction at the site.
San Francisco’s Mayor said the marketplace will be a great opportunity for these female entrepreneurs, “to showcase their talents, grow their businesses, and provide a new community space.” The current hours of operation for the marketplace are 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with hours expanding in the summer.
