The big former 99-cent store at the corner of 18th and Mission, which was slated to become a grocery store until the owners got caught removing some historic porcelain enamel siding, is now set to become a big, 18,000-square-foot restaurant and brewery called Citizen Fox (2205 Mission Street). One of the guys behind it, as Inside Scoop reports, is local beer expert and brewer Rich Higgins who helped to launch Social Kitchen & Brewery, and revamped the menu at Schroeder's, so that's promising. Also on the team is Deborah Blum, one of the partners from Beretta and Starbelly, as Eater notes.
Higgins says, on the restaurant's nascent blog, "I’m stoked about putting together a great brewery that brews fresh, delicious beer, works closely with the restaurant’s kitchen, and contributes to the brewing community." And, he adds, "The opening beer menu at Citizen Fox will be influenced by the things I love most about the Mission District its warmth, liveliness, and vibrancy...The beer flavors will be exciting... and I’ll draw on a variety of European brewing traditions... while infusing them with the creativity that’s such a big part of San Francisco’s hip food, craft beer, and cocktail scene."
For all you ambitious home brewers, there will be a brewer apprenticeship program, led by Higgins, that will be paid, with benefits. Higgins will mentor you for 10 months, offer hands-on brewing experience in the new Citizen Fox brewery, and throw in a trip to the Craft Brewers Conference, a weeklong field trip to apprentice with another craft brewery, and, at the end of the 10 months, an opportunity to take the Certified Cicerone Exam to become a fully fledged beer sommelier.
No word yet on who the chef may be, or what the food menu will be like. But they're aiming to be open by late 2014. Check Facebook for timely updates until then.
[Inside Scoop]
[Eater]
[Citizen Fox]
