Move over, hipsters. Divisadero is the new Mission.
After years of anticipation, Bi-Rite Market celebrated a soft opening at its new location at 550 Divisadero Street on Sunday, reportedly handing out sandwiches, ice cream and cheese to the line outside. The location will celebrate a grand opening on Wednesday.
"It feels really good in here, man," said owner Sam Mogannam while standing in the new space with the San Francisco Chronicle. "Construction was so long and so frustrating because it felt like it took forever. But now, the vision came through."
Indeed, plans for the new location were first announced in 2010, but were stalled due to a difficult construction project. Now, the city's west side is finally celebrating.
The new location will mirror the market's original Mission location, but with an added cut-to-order cheese counter, and additional room for fish and produce. The original market's beloved ice cream window will also be at the new location.
The addition reflects a larger movement in the neighborhood. In 2011, the Divisadero Corridor was named the "Comeback Neighborhood of the Year" by local non-profit Neighborhood Empowerment Network. Last month, the Mill, a popular toast-and-coffee collaboration between Josey Baker and Four Barrel Coffee, opened its doors just down the street.
"The past two times I've been to @TheMillSF I've seen people in BiRite hoodies," tweeted one local customer. "This is the new Divis!"
Check out a few of the local businesses that have helped create "the new Divis" in our slideshow below.
