A Yemeni cafe and dessert lounge is planning to open at 403 Irving St., San Francisco, according to Mission Local. The owners plan to open early next year in the space formerly occupied by Shin Dig, an event venue that has been vacant since around 2020.
The cafe is being opened by Yahya Munsar, who runs KJ Produce, the grocery store across the street at Fifth Avenue and Irving Street. Munsar opened the grocery store with his brother and father in 2022, according to Mission Local. Munsar, 23, moved to the United States with his family in 2006.
The space still has a wall of floor-to-ceiling wine coolers, which will be stocked with grab-and-go meals, according to Mission Local. Munsar said he wants to offer affordable options such as a tuna sandwich that does not cost $30, with a spread similar to Bi-Rite Market.
The cafe will have a full coffee bar serving Yemeni coffee, pastries from local bakeries, and trays of house-made baklava made from a recipe by Munsar’s father. It will stay open as late as 10 p.m., offering the neighborhood a place to gather that is not a bar.
Abanico Coffee Roasters is also opening a second location next to KJ Produce, according to Mission Local. Munsar said his cafe will differ by serving Yemeni coffee rather than Latin American coffee and by keeping later hours. Munsar told Mission Local that members of the Yemeni community plan to open cafes across the Bay Area over the next five years.
