Thursday: A Mixer for Bernal-Based Merchants to Munch and Mingle

November 13, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

Tomorrow evening, Thursday Nov. 14, the Bernal Business Alliance will hold a B2B networking event at Neighbor Eden’s fabulous Secession Art & Design Gallery. This will be an excellent opportunity for Bernal business locavores to get to know one another:

Come network with your fellow Bernal business people while enjoying delicious eye candy and treats at Secession Art & Design Gallery. We’ll have light d’oeuvres and beer/wine. All BBA members and guests are encouraged to attend and get to know their fellow hillians.

This mixer is serious business, served Bernal casual-style. Come have a drink and a snack, connect with colleagues and make some new friends. If you’ve never been to owner/curator Eden Stein’s store/gallery/cultural feast, Secession, you’re in for a treat!

All businesses are welcome; whether you’re a local merchant, Bernal-based service provider, craftsperson, artisan, e-tailer, musician. If you have a business, you’re invited. Feel free to bring a guest!

What: Bernal Heights Business Alliance Networking Mixer
Where: Secession Art & Design Gallery (3361 Mission)
When: Thursday, Nov 14 6-9p
Who: All Bernal-based business people
Why: To make new business connections

Here’s a bit about our wonderful host Eden’s shop, Secession:

Opened in August 2007, Secession Art & Design (3361 Mission St @ 30th St) is a hub for emerging and established artists, designers and supporters of San Francisco’s independent arts community. Like an ongoing trunk show of the best locally-produced art and design offerings from the Bay Area and beyond, the space houses a rotating collection handpicked by gallery owner and curator Eden Stein alongside the work of in-house artists and designers Colleen Mauer, Heather Robinson, New Skool and Stein’s own Twelve Designs. Promoting a strong local community, the gallery donates a portion of the proceeds from each show to non-profit organizations.

Bernal Neighbor Alleges Mission Merchant Was Reluctant to Assist After Assault

October 30, 2013October 30, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 63 Comments

About a week ago, Neighbor Joyce was assaulted on Mission Street near the intersection with Crescent. But as she tells the story, that wasn’t the terrible part:

I needed to get some items for dinner from the corner store on Wednesday night and headed up to La Loma Produce, a little Mom’n Pop shop on Mission between Crescent and Richland. I started picking out my limes, and noticed a man screaming to no one in particular at the corner, and I did my best to ignore him. Regardless, he then started walking quickly towards me, screaming.

And then, he punched me.

Scared and stunned, I yelled at him to get away from me and back off. He continued to scream at me, and I ran into the entrance of the store, continuing to yell at him to leave me alone. He kept screaming for a little bit and then finally left, heading south on Mission.

I was still scared and shocked, but my emotions quickly turned to anger. Why? Because when I was in La Loma Produce, I asked the store clerks for help, to call the police, because I had just been assaulted outside their store (and of course, neglected to bring my cell phone on what I thought would be a 30 second jaunt to the corner store).

They stared at me with blank looks and did nothing. They would not help me. The man ignored me and the woman shrugged her shoulders and said “He’s gone, what do you want?”. I repeatedly pleaded for help and they continued to do nothing but just look at each other. I finally asked, “Do you ever want me to shop here again?”, to which she handed me their phone and finally allowed me to make a call to the police. Why this made a difference, is mind-boggling.

After my 911 call, I waited outside on a bench for the police to arrive. During this time, the woman came out several times and said “they’re still not here yet?”. I found these remarks further infuriating, given their lack of compassion in the first place.

The police arrived within 10 minutes and took me to identify the suspected perpetrator. Indeed, they found the suspect. He apparently is a frequentor of the area, well-known to the police, and had also been recently cited for harassing customers at a local coffee shop. I don’t know of his fate. However, I can honestly say that I do not have any hard feelings for him as it was plainly obvious that he had mental health issues.

I do, however, have hard feelings for those clerks at La Loma Produce, who had the ability and choice to help me but wouldn’t. In fact, I find the lack of compassion very disappointing. I can entertain many reasons why they would not call the police, but to be frank, I don’t care. A society declines if we make an active choice not to help others in need, if we are void of compassion. I cannot support a community store that does not support its community. Thus, we will exercise our choice: my family will no longer be shopping at La Loma Produce, 3835 Mission between Crescent and Richland.

Little Bee Bake Shop Seeks Crowdsourced Funds for September Opening

August 13, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 30 Comments

Neighbor Stacie is on target to open her Little Bee Bake Shop in the location of the former Rock Candy Snack Shop on Cortland, with a September launch date on the calendar and a crowdsourced fund drive underway via Indiegogo:

Little Bee Baking is the Bernal Heights based baking company started by Stacie Pierce, former pastry chef of Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, CA. Since starting in January 2013, Little Bee quickly outgrew its home kitchen and when a shop became available just blocks from home, it was decided that Little Bee should take a leap of faith and sign a lease.

My vision for Little Bee’s shop is that of a family friendly bake shop where everything is made in house with locally sourced and organic ingredients. It will be a place for neighbors to come to enjoy a slice of fruit tart or cake, ice cream, or cookies. The shop will also offer cakes and desserts for birthdays and other special occasions, as well as take home and bake items such as cookie dough and buttery tart dough.

Since this neighborhood has been our home for almost 10 years and is now where we are choosing to raise our daughter, it is very exciting and important for me to have this chance to expand my role as a part of the Bernal Heights community. I intend the shop to contribute to the vibrancy of Cortland Avenue and to grow with the neighborhood.

What Little Bee Needs & How the Money Will Be Spent

Little Bee is starting with a small amount of equipment inherited from the current shop, however in order to fulfill its intended vision there are some additional pieces that are needed to make this a truly successful venture. If we reach our goal, the money will be invested directly into new and improved lighting, tiling, flooring, bathroom and electrical updates, as well as new equipment for the shop. If all goes as planned, we are shooting for the shop to be open in September just after Labor Day.

With 7 days remaining, as of this writing Little Bee has raised $6400 on the way toward its $25,000 goal.

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

New Video Profiles Cortland’s “Optimistic Bike Shop”

August 9, 2013August 9, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

Following up on his wonderful profile of Bernal artists Joseph Branchcomb and Toby Klayman, Neighbor Steve Sisler has released his next piece in his “Bernal Heights Conversations” video series: A video about Brett Thurber and Karen Wiener, the glamorous couple that created the newfangled New Wheel electric bicycle shop on Cortland.

Neighbor Steve writes:

Can you believe two of the nicest kids that I have ever met are selling and servicing quality electric bikes right here in Bernal? I wish I could say The New Wheel is a mom & pop shop, but Karen and Brett need a few years before we can expect children from them. Until then Bernal is lucky to have another fine family business.

Frankly, we’re also rather lucky to have Neighbor Steve cranking out these terrific videos. Go fullscreen, your feet up on the desk for a few minutes, and get to know Brett and Karen:

Enterprising Bernal Kid Sells Adorable Plush Meats at Avedano’s

July 17, 2013July 17, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

Junior Neighbor Takouhi is a nine year-old from Winfield Street who has mad skillz with a sewing machine. Her dad tells Bernalwood that Junior Neighbor Takouhi is now selling some of her carnivore-themed pieces at Avedano’s on Cortland:

Our daughter Takouhi has been sewing for close to 3 years, and she has some cool news about her latest creations. Takouhi likes to make her own “stuffies” as well as clothes for herself, and now she’s started a little business called Stuffy-A-Fluffy (“Cuteness You Can Squeeze”) to sell her work. Takouhi’s stuffed T-bone steaks are now available for sale at Avedano’s. She’s making two types: A little keychain T-bone and a larger “just a stuffy T-bone.” Her words.

Here’s the merchandise:

Bernalwood has been assured that Takouhi’s work is grass-fed, free-range, and hopefully hormone-free for at least a few more years.

PHOTOS: Stuffy-A-Fluffy

Tierra Mia Coffee Shop Opens on Mission at Valencia

July 8, 2013July 8, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

Tierra Mia Coffee is a new coffee shop on Mission Street along the Bernalwood/La Lengua Liminal Zone, and owner Ulysses Romero writes to tell us about it:

Tierra Mia Coffee has opened a store in San Francisco. We have taken over the space that was previously the Way Out Café and Caffeinated Comics (and previously Taco Bell!), at 3188 Mission St, on the triangle corner where Mission and Valencia intersect.

Tierra Mia stands for “my land” or “my earth”, people will use it to describe where they are from in Latin America (town, city, state or country). Tierra Mia Coffee as a company is an artisanal coffee roaster who’s mission is to provide the freshest and highest quality Latin-inspired coffee, beverages, and pastries in a setting that is comfortable, contemporary, and highly reflective of Latin American culture.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Tierra Mia Coffee

Bernal Cutlery Introduces Drop-Off Service via Avedano’s

June 17, 2013June 17, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

As threatened, Bernal Cutlery has matriculated from the 331 Cortland Marketplace and set up shop in the hipster flatlands of the Mission District. And as promised, the business is still called Bernal Cutlery. (REPRESENT!) Plus, Neighbors Josh and Kelly, the dynamic duo behind Bernal Cutlery, still live here among us as hillpeople. So the connection to Bernal Heights remains strong.

… and convenient, too. Kelly writes Bernalwood to share the news about Bernal Cutlery’s new, handy-dandy drop-off service at Avedano’s:

We’re getting out the word about the sharpening drop off at Avedano’s. It’s up and running now. Drop off on Tuesdays before 2 pm get your sharp knives back by the following Tuesday.

Full details on this dashingly atmospheric flier:

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

For Sale: Rock Candy Snack Shop on Cortland

May 31, 2013May 30, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

An observant Bernalwood reader sent us a tip yesterday about a “For Sale” sign in the window of the beloved Rock Candy Snack Shop on Cortland.

So odd. So curious. So confusing. Thus confounded, we picked up the Bernalwood red phone to ask Neighbor Heather from the Rock Candy Snack Shop if there was any news for us to discuss.

We were saddened to receive this reply:

Dear friends of the Rock Candy Snack Shop,

I wanted to take a minute and respond to the concern of the store being for sale. I am looking into finding a good neighbor to take over the store. I love being here; it breaks my heart to give it up. There is a good reason though, and I hope you understand how hard this is for us, and how we appreciate your support and love! Being here is where we wanted to be and it has been a wonderful experience I will cherish forever!

Three months after I opened my mom was diagnosed with liver cancer, had a major surgery, and now is on chemo that will only work for so long. The cost of her treatment can get expensive and I don’t have the means to care for her and the store.

I want to focus my energy on my mom’s care and make sure she is happy for the brief time I have left with her. It is because of her I was able to have the opportunity to open Rock Candy Snack Shop, not only has she watched my son countless hours that I have been working but she has helped financially too, being my biggest supported and partner.

With all my heart I thank you for being our friends and supporters for the last 2 years. This is my home and I will see you at the garden or at the playground. Please send love and prayers to my family and wish us well as we do what is right for us.

I offer my hard work, love, and good will to the future of 521 Cortland Ave. We hope to find someone who will be fun and keep the heart of Rock Candy Snack Shop the same: to create a joyful place for family fun!

The good news is I am getting married and am so in love and happy! And as an entrepreneur I am already thinking about opening a push cart and catering business in the future, I love event planning and catering and want to keep the fun going, but for now first things first.

Thanks again Bernalwood for all the support you and your readers have offered. Thanks again Bernal Dads for coming together for us last year [to help buy a new laptop after Heather’s was stolen] and Happy Fathers Day!!

Sincerely,

Heather

Stunned. Speechless. Heartbroken.

Heather also sent along this photo of her family, which we are grateful to have. That’s her son, and her mom, marking the opening of the store in 2011.

We wish all of them the very, very best.

PHOTOS: Top, Telstar Logistics. Below, via Neighbor Heather.

Revealed! What’s Happening to the Former Bernal Heights Produce Store on Cortland

May 20, 2013May 20, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 48 Comments

Reinvention is underway at the iconic Bernal Heights Produce store on the corner of Cortland and Ellsworth. The old business has shut down and workers are busy rebuilding the interior, but paper covers the windows to hide the transformation taking place inside.

The only clues that hint at what’s coming next are a new awning and a series of cryptic signs taped to the windows, all of which are written in the voice of a very cute young girl named Hannah.

Baffled by the ambiguity of these signs, several Cortlandia residents contacted Bernalwood to seek our help in sorting out what the store will become next. Happily, when we visited the Bernal Heights Produce site, the answer immediately became obvious.

Indeed, many residents of Precitaville probably could have solved the mystery as well. The signs in the windows were the big giveaway: The notes from Hannah use a distinctive typeface and graphic style that’s familiar to many northsiders, particularly those who shop at the Harvest Hills Market on the corner of Folsom and Precita. Thus, immediately after visiting Bernal Heights Produce, the Bernalwood Action News Team rushed to Harvest Hills to verify our hypothesis.

Here’s what we saw when we walked into Harvest Hills:

Ah-HA! Different subject matter, but a near-purrrrrrrfect graphic design match!

We asked the woman working behind the counter at Harvest Hills if there was indeed a link to the new Bernal Heights Produce store. Here is what we were told:

Confirmed! The owners of Harvest Hills have acquired Bernal Heights Produce. The Cortland location had a vent hood, which is very exciting, so the new owners plan to take advantage of it by offering more cooked and prepared food, in the style of a delicatessen. In addition, they also plan to offer lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (much as they do at Harvest Hills). We were also told that the name for the new store has not yet been chosen.

So there you have it. A riddle wrapped in an enigma shrouded in mystery… but a secret betrayed by some distinctive typography.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Cortland Candy Shop Converts Tasty Sugar Into Wholesome Community

May 9, 2013May 9, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

There’s a cute interview with Miss Heather from Cortland’s Rock Candy Snack Shop posted on the San Francisco Small Business Week website, in which Miss Heather explains how she’s trying to build community, one jellybean at a time:

Tell us about the impact you believe your small business has had on your community.

I know I took a dark storefront and painted it pink, wrapped it in Christmas lights, sparkled it with glitter, and filled it with temptation. Parents come up to me and thank me for choosing their neighborhood. Kids relish the day they can grow up and work here. I am working with the SF Mayor’s Employment an Education Program to hire youth this Summer. I sweep the street every day. I attend The Merchants Alliance Meetings to help make the corridor safe and inviting. My store is at its humble beginnings and I know we have a lot more that we want to do to make Bernal Heights stand out as one of the coolest communities in San Francisco.

PHOTO: Rock Candy Snack Shop

Bernal Cutlery to Move from Bernal Heights but Remain “Bernal Cutlery”

April 9, 2013April 8, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 15 Comments

The paradoxical thing about the foodie incubator at 331 Cortland is that — by design — the businesses you know and love most there will eventually move elsewhere. The purpose of 331 Cortland is to nurture fledgling businesses so they can go on to bigger and more glamorous things. So lots of wistful goodbyes at 331 Cortland means that the place is working pretty much as intended. That’s what happened with Ichi Sushi. That’s what happened to El Porteña. And now it’s happening to Bernal Cutlery.

Hooray! Dammit.

Neighbor Kelly from Bernal Cutlery tells Bernalwood the happy-sad news:

Thank you Bernal Heights for eight years of dull knives and sharp wits.

The rumors are true. Bernal Cutlery is hatching from the 331 Cortland small business incubator and will be opening a new shop at 593 Guerrero (at 18th St) next month. And yes, we are proud to say we will still be called Bernal Cutlery.

Bernal Heights has been the neighborhood that has been home to our growing family and growing business for the last 10 years, and we are immensely grateful to have had the support and encouragement of the neighborhood.

We also must make a point to thank the 331 Cortland small business incubator project for providing us the springboard to grow our business with a brick and mortar location. This has been key in our evolution from a shoestring home based-operation to what we are today.

We seek to create a drop off spot on the hill for all of our Bernal Customers. Stay tuned for details about who our host spot will be, and who the new vendor at 331 will be!

Lots of love and appreciation,

Josh and Kelly and our three boys: Charlie Henry and Milton

PS: Taka-san says, ‘peace’!

PHOTO: Josh and Kelly of Bernal Cutlery

Badger Books Opens for Business on Cortland

March 11, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

Last weekend, Badger Books opened in the former Red Hill Books space on Cortland.

Truth be told, the differences between the old bookstore and the new one are still rather subtle. The cash register, which was once on the left, is now…. on the right!

As you can see, the space is generally more open and airy. Bernalwood was told that many, many, many musty old books were culled from the shelves. Badger plans to carry more new books, and gift items, with a deeper emphasis on Childrens’ and Cooking books.

We were also told that the store remains a work in progress, and we should check back in regularly.

So we will. In the meantime, it’s great to have a bookstore on Cortland again.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Harried Pet Owner Cleans Dirty Dog At New “Precita Bark” Dog Spa

February 20, 2013February 20, 2013 / Todd_Lappin / 12 Comments

Precita Bark, the new dog groomery on the eastern end of Precita Park (across from the playground) is now open for business. Neighbor Regina stopped in recently to get a treatment for her dog Rover, and she filed this report:

Precita Bark is now open, and Lora, the owner, has done a fabulous job creating a practical yet spa-like environment for dogs.

Rover, my black lab, turned 10 on Valentine’s Day, so I took him for a self-serve wash ($19 to $17, depending on dog size) at Precita Bark. This service includes a “spa bathing station” and shampoo of your choice (we picked Eucalyptus), a waterproof apron for the owner, absorbant towels, any brushes you need, and individual dryers. Best part is you don’t have to clean-up when you’re done!

Rover sheds like it’s his job, and I usually dread bath day in our home. Wet dog hair clings everywhere, even to walls where he smacks his tail. My newly crawling baby becomes an unfortunate Rover-hair Swiffer after his baths; her pink footed PJ’s are black fur magnets. Several towels are necessary and my washer and dryer become inundated with dog hair and smell. We all need a bath after Rover’s bath.

Precita Bark has done a fantastic job designing the space, and they really understand dogs. When we arrived, Lora carefully adjusted the water pressure and temperature for Rover so “he won’t be nervous,” and she had great washing tips for me.

Next to us, Rover’s new friend Shakes was getting a Full Service treatment by Lora, including a blowout ($40 for dogs under 40 lbs., $45 for over 40 lbs.). Shakes has a ton of hair and his owner, who lives on the South slope of Bernal, was probably thrilled it wasn’t blowing around their home.

Rover has never been cleaner, he LOVED his bath, and is favorite parts were the blueberry facial ($2) and the big fluffy towels at the end. I let him pick a toy on the way out; He chose a squeaky hedgehog (non-native to Bernal, I know, but they don’t sell squeaky gophers).

Glamour Bonus: On our way home, a stylish Italian woman standing outside St. Anthony’s chapel commented on how handsome Rover looked.

Precita Bark:
433 Precita Ave
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 926-5277
Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am – 7 pm
Sat-Sun 8 am – 6 pm

PHOTOS: Top, Lora from Precia Bark with Rover. Below, Neighbor Regina gives Rover the business.