We've already talked about how Valencia Street may or may not have reached peak restaurant density. Now it's time to once again address the fact that you now can't throw a rainbow ring necklace in the Castro without hitting a coffeeshop. Five new coffee spots have opened in a four-block radius in the last two years, and now two more are on the way, the latest being SF's first outpost of Santa Cruz-based Verve Coffee Roasters, as Hoodline reported yesterday. But this brings the neighborhood total to 14 coffeeshops. Fourteen. It's kind of ridiculous.
I'm not even counting places like Morning Due Cafe on Church Street or Duboce Park Cafe, which are just a couple blocks away from this major hub of caffeination. And with the seven newcomers you have lots of fancy competition for old local stalwarts like Philz, Spike's, and Castro Coffee Co.
In 2013 you had the openings of Eureka! and Espressamente Illy. Last year brought the openings of Reveille, Hearth, and Weaver's. And now we have Verve on the way, along with Artis Coffee hoping to move into 506 Castro Street (the former Body Shop, pending a change of use), as Hoodline just reported.
It really begs the question how far should a person have to walk for a cup of joe, or just how many coffee options a neighborhood really needs. But I think it's safe to say that even though the Mission might be home to bougie roasters like Ritual and Four Barrel, the Castro is officially San Francisco's most java-rich 'hood.
Here's the current tally:
- Artis Coffee (506 Castro, pending approval)
- Castro Coffee Co. (427 Castro)
- Cafe Sophie (3463 16th Street at Sanchez)
- Espressamente Illy (2349 Market Street)
- Eureka! (451 Castro Street)
- Hearth (3985 17th Street)
- Jumpin Java (139 Noe Street)
- Peet's (2257 Market Street)
- Philz (4023 18th Street)
- Reveille Coffee Co. (4076 18th Street)
- Spike's Coffees and Teas (4117 19th Street)
- Starbucks (4094 18th Street)
- Verve Coffee Roasters (210 Church Street)
- Weaver's Coffee & Tea (2301 Market Street)
