Morales, who owns Pacifico and also works at La Cocina in Folsom, said he would appreciate more space because it’s hard to get reservations on busy days, and he lives within walking distance of the Tenderloin kitchen, so he prefers the commute to a different kitchen by bus and BART.
“It was a little disappointing to see the Marketplace close, but it’s understandable,” he said. “To me, it’s better for us to have the community kitchen open now,” he said, referring to the reduced flexibility of the food hall’s space.
According to La Cocina, initially 13 companies have been permitted to operate in the new production facilities.
“The Hyde Street location is really appealing because it was originally a food hall, so it has almost a private kitchen,” La Cocina attendee and Pass the Sourced owner Carla Rosales Barrios told KQED. “I love this idea of being able to be with the community and your coworkers, but also being able to do your own thing and not be interrupted by anyone.”
Chefs like Julieta del Rio of Tirin Tirin and Norka Hernandez of Suyos are among the first batch of chefs planning to use the space, which La Cocina participants can rent for $15 an hour.
“Suyos means region, and my vision is to bring Peruvian regional cuisine to the Bay Area and San Francisco with California ingredients and our own style,” Hernandez said at La Cocina on Hyde Street, slicing limes to make a citrus marinade inspired by nikkei, a Japanese-Peruvian fusion dish.
Chef Norka Hernandez prepares shrimp ceviche for her pop-up restaurant Suyos at La Cocina in San Francisco. (Beth LaBarge/KQED)
But the new shared kitchen is only temporary: The city owns the building, and the marketplace was originally created as a pilot project. La Cocina on Hyde’s lease was recently extended until December 2026, after which the site will continue to be used for affordable housing.
However, the city has yet to identify a developer for the project, which the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development said it expects to identify one by the end of the lease.
“We knew it was going to be temporary, but we still felt it was worth it because we felt it was a really great opportunity for us to actually own real estate and offer it to entrepreneurs and see what it’s like,” Landa said.
Seven food companies that previously operated in the food hall have since opened their own kiosks in the Ferry Building, as well as food stalls at farmers’ markets and full-service restaurants.
While the long-term future of Hyde Street Kitchen is unclear, it’s already inspiring entrepreneurs like Rosales Barrios to take their next steps.
“I would love to have a team one day. That’s my dream,” she says. “Being a small business is hard enough.”
