A variety of San Francisco restaurateurs and industry professionals gathered for an “Accelerate” event hosted by What Now Media Group at Hôtel Biron. The event provided a valuable opportunity for the Bay Area’s restaurant community to connect, share strategies, and navigate the evolving local hospitality landscape.
Hôtel Biron, an intimate wine bar and art gallery located at 45 Rose Street in Hayes Valley, hosted a free event on Thursday, July 31, bringing together representatives from dozens of food and beverage concepts featured on What Now San Francisco. Attendees included local restaurateurs, business professionals, and several industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Guests networked over wine and light refreshments before engaging in a collaborative discussion centered around building sustainable growth and scaling up in today’s competitive dining scene.
The event was led by Mariah Medley, Director of Events and Partner Engagement at What Now Media Group. Among the many notable attendees were local restaurant operators such as Ang Tendi Sherpa and Jayaram Pandit, the duo behind 4 Dreams Nepali & Indian Cuisine, a vibrant concept blending traditional flavors from Nepal and India, set to debut in Berkeley.
Borhen Hammami, owner of Feerma Mediterranean Grill & Bar, also joined the conversation. The new concept will offer contemporary Mediterranean cuisine in Larkspur, marking a fresh chapter for the restaurateur behind the now-shuttered Berber.
Representatives from Ciaorigato, including Dario Nicotra, Marco Avila, Davide Tringali, and Matteo Avallone, attended the event. Their unique Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant is poised to open soon inside Hotel Bijou, blending cultural techniques and ingredients in a modern setting.
Attendees also included David Jacobson, owner of Cheezy’s Artisan Pizza, a pizza concept preparing to make its debut at San Francisco’s Saluhall, and Jacquelyn “Jackie” Shao of Yuja Kitchen / Jackie’s Supper Club, a dual-concept brand focused on health-forward cuisine and immersive culinary experiences.
Also in attendance was Ashley Seashore, owner of micro-bakery Aundin’s Sweet Tooth, preparing to launch a brick-and-mortar in Berkeley, and Vy Tran of LoreSF, an elegant new speakeasy concept set to open in the Mission District.
Other guests included representatives from Goemon Izakaya Bar & Karaoke Lounge, Hungry Tables, Cuisine of Nepal, and Slice House, among others.
Several of What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partners were also in attendance, offering valuable tools and resources to help Bay Area operators grow their businesses. Representatives from more than half a dozen partner organizations joined the event, including Dan O’Connor, Danny Gutierrez, and Gavin Courvey-Jacobs of Heartland, who shared solutions for POS integration and payroll optimization.
Larry Anaya and Cameron Koch of Tagrisk were present to discuss customized insurance solutions for hospitality operators, helping them mitigate risk as they expand operations. From Hostie, Noah Lakritz introduced phone automation systems designed to streamline reservations and reduce labor strain.
Thomas Pham, president of SLIQUE Media, spoke with attendees about modern branding strategies, digital content development, and how storytelling drives customer engagement. From SpotOn: POS Solutions, Robby Skog and DeAnn Wong discussed integrated point-of-sale systems and customer engagement tools.
The restaurant owners and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners shared valuable insights, operational highlights, and expert advice, creating an engaging and informative evening that was both enriching and beneficial for all attendees.
This led Mariah Medley to carry the conversation even deeper by discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Mariah and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone became quickly interested in learning more about their businesses and how they could help one another.
This event provided a valuable platform for restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and establish new connections. It’s clear that the San Francisco restaurant community is eager to continue innovating and evolving, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events provide the perfect space for these conversations to take place.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2025. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
