New Long-term Leases Signed through Vacant to Vibrant, Bringing Total to 11 as Wells Fargo Expands Program Funding
Today, SF New Deal announced a $1 million donation from Wells Fargo being shared across its Vacant to Vibrant program and efforts at La Cocina, Main Street Launch, and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce to support small businesses and revitalize Downtown San Francisco.
Wells Fargo’s new contribution will provide transformational grant funding and support for Vacant to Vibrant pop-ups that have transitioned to long-term leases downtown, converting formerly vacant spaces into vibrant storefronts. This announcement arrives as four more Vacant to Vibrant pop-ups successfully transition to long-term leases.
“Wells Fargo’s generous support is a game-changer for small businesses and downtown. Our partnership highlights the power of public-private collaboration and the vital role small businesses play in shaping the future of San Francisco. With every new pop-up storefront, Vacant to Vibrant is bringing optimism, economic activity, and renewed energy to downtown,” said Simon Bertrang, SF New Deal’s Executive Director.
“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our community and our local economy,” Darlene Goins, head of Philanthropy and Community Impact at Wells Fargo. “This funding is designed to expand opportunities for entrepreneurs to start and grow small businesses. We want to work alongside community leaders to foster a deep appreciation for the small business community and a dynamic downtown.”
Since its inception in March of 2020, SF New Deal has supported over 1,900 small businesses citywide in San Francisco with financial resources and technical assistance that have addressed both their urgent challenges and capacity-building needs. In 2023, in partnership with the City of San Francisco and presenting sponsor Wells Fargo, SF New Deal launched Vacant to Vibrant, an innovative program working to address growing vacancies in downtown San Francisco.
The Vacant to Vibrant program has opened 18 storefronts in neighborhoods across Downtown San Francisco since its launch, including the Financial District, Yerba Buena, and the East Cut, 11 of which have signed long-term leases, with support from Wells Fargo’s continued investment in the program.
By summer 2025, Vacant to Vibrant will have successfully opened 21 storefront locations, with more than 20 businesses slated to open on a rolling basis over the next year, thanks to the program's overwhelming success and support from its many partners.
Through Wells Fargo’s financial commitment and an expanded partnership with the City of San Francisco, SF New Deal has been able to support the transition from pop-ups to long-term leases.
“Opening our Paper Son Coffee downtown location was only made possible through the Vacant to Vibrant program. Special thanks to Kilroy and all of our customers for supporting our stellar and scrappy team over the past 10 months,” said Alex Pong, Owner of Paper Son Coffee, one of the four recent long-term lease signers.
NEW LONG-TERM LEASE SIGNEES :
Hungry Crumbs (@hungrycrumbssf)
Location: 215 Fremont Street, 5B
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm
Property Owner: Clarion Partners
Bio: Hungry Crumbs is a unique cookie concept that combines classic and contemporary flavors. The menu includes unique selections such as Ube Cookies and Baklava Dough Cookies, tailored to appeal to both traditionalists and adventurous eaters.
Koolfi Creamery (@koolficreamery)
Location: 50 Fremont Street
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, Noon-6pm
Property Owner: Salesforce
Bio: Koolfi Creamery creates Indian-inspired ice creams with fresh, local California Straus dairy. They are a queer and immigrant women-owned business that operates a shop in San Leandro and a pint wholesaling operation.
Paper Son Cafe (@papersoncoffee)
Location: 303 2nd Street, N102
Hours of Operation: Monday and Friday, 8:30am-2:30pm; Tuesday-Thursday, 8am -2pm
Property Owners: Kilroy Realty
Bio: Paper Son Coffee, named after their founder's family (and so many others in San Francisco) immigrated to the U.S., serves locally roasted coffee – nailing the classic drinks and offering adventurous Asian American-inspired flavor profiles.
Studio Aurora (@studioaurora.sf)
Location: 302 Valencia St.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday, 11am-5pm ; Friday-Saturday, 11am-9pm
Bio: Studio Aurora, the newest sister restaurant to the Potrero staple Alimentari Aurora, is a petite deli with a curious kitchen. Their menu is unpredictable and erratic by design, humbly priced, and with international flavors.
Note: Studio Aurora from local restaurateur Dario Barbone follows his initial pop-up storefront downtown that has since relocated to Mission Street. SF New Deal and the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development provided technical assistance with the signing of a new long-term lease.
These 4 new leases join prior successful long-term lease transitions for:
Devil's Teeth (@devilsteeth)
Location: One Embarcadero Center, Suite 1113
Hours of Operation: Monday-Sunday, 7am - 2pm
GCS Agency (@gcs_agency)
Location: 201 Jackson St.
Hours of Operation: Wednesday-Friday, 11am - 6pm
Property Owner: The Gateway
Property Owner: BXP
KALW-FM (@kalwradio)
Location: 220 Montgomery St., Suite 100
Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday, 9am - 6pm
Property Owner: The Swig Company
Rosalind Bakery (@rosalindbakery)
Location:4 Embarcadero Ctr #4504, San Francisco
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 8am - 3pm ; Saturday-Sunday, 9am - 3pm
Property Owner: BXP
Teranga (@terangafoods)
Location: Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 4104
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 3pm
Property Owner: BXP
The Mellow (@themellowsf)
Location: 332 Pine St.
Hours of Operation: Monday, Sunday: 12pm-6pm, Tuesday-Saturday, 12pm – 7pm
Property Owner: Lincoln Properties
Whack Donuts (@whackdonuts)
Location: Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 4507
Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Saturday, 9am - 2pm
Property Owner: BXP
