San Francisco's Bayview sees revitalization with new restaurants
A string of new restaurants in one San Francisco neighborhood is generating some buzz.
There's no time to slow down for Kim Truong as soon as the doors open.
"I got your food ready. Okay, let me go get you guys a rag for your table. Okay, give me one second. I'll be right with you, sir," said Truong.
She and husband Jorge Islas opened Frank Grizzly's restaurant in the heart of the Bayview less than two years ago.
It all began with a pop-up at the now-closed Anchor Brewing Company.
"We did that pop-up, and we had a line out the door, which is crazy. We couldn't believe it. We're like, 'Oh my God. This is actually happening'," said Islas.
Regulars said their cuisine, using locally sourced fresh ingredients, is generating plenty of buzz around the Bayview.
But it's not just the food.
The energetic vibe throughout the day and events they host, like "Beats and Eats," featuring live music and food at the restaurant, add to what has become a thriving hub of commerce and community.
"This is the heartbeat of San Francisco, this community," said Truong.
The main corridor of Bayview Hunters Point on 3rd Street has its fair share of challenges to fill vacant spaces, like many neighborhoods in San Francisco.
All this wouldn't be what it is today if not for city-funded programs like the Bayview Maker's Kitchen, which Truong and Islas used to get their pop-up started. Their lease at 3rd and Bancroft is also partly funded by the city.
Diana Ponce De Leon works for the city of San Francisco and is Director of Community Economic Development.
"The benefits to the community are now that it's more vibrant. It's more lively," Ponce De Leon told CBS News Bay Area.
The city's Office of Employment and Workforce Development said between 2016 and 2024, there has been an investment of $8 million in public funding into 3rd Street.
"The storefronts are more beautiful. It attracts people to the services that they need, as well as create this level of economic opportunity for the neighborhood," said Ponce De Leon.
Down the street from Frank Grizzly's, Gumbo Social also opened its first permanent location thanks to similar city-funded initiatives.
"We are seeing more places pop up and more places open," said Gumbo Social manager Jasmine Ball.
"We wouldn't have been able to open a restaurant in San Francisco had it not been for EDot and the Bayview Maker's Kitchen," said Truong.
They're helping to create a more vibrant community, where they can work and spend time together, with family and friends.
"Had this space never opened up, I'd have no idea what would have happened. It all just kind of worked out beautifully," said Truong.
It's a win for small businesses and for the city, too.
