Around the Corner: San Francisco Edition

Real stories. Hyperlocal data. Community-first advice. Welcome to Around the Corner: San Francisco Edition—your neighborhood business guide. Here you'll meet the owners, staff, and customers who shape the city. Explore insights from North Beach, the Mission, the Outer Sunset, and the blocks in between. Discover how local entrepreneurs market their business. Learn how they grow alongside the community and, of course, where they like to eat after a long shift.

Featured

Operating Your Business

How We Built a San Francisco Restaurant That’s Still Thriving After 10 Years

by Ryan Cole

Jul 18, 2025 — 4 min read

A decade in, Trestle’s success shows that staying small, investing in people, and evolving with purpose are powerful drivers of sustained business growth and a lasting local impact.

Operating Your Business

The Epicurean Trader — How The Epicurean Trader Manages Multiple Locations and Revenue Streams

by Austin Tedesco

Nov 18, 2025 — 3 min read

The Epicurean Trader is a multi-location specialty food-and-beverage retailer in San Francisco. The business trusts Square and third-party tools to help it operate and keep customers satisfied. Read its success story.

Operating Your Business

Destapas — How Destapas Grew a Community-Backed Tapas Business in San Francisco’s Mission

by Maya Rollings

Aug 14, 2025 — 3 min read

Destapas is a customer favorite in San Francisco's Mission neighborhood. Growing the business from 20 customers a day to over 200 a day has been intentional balance of culture and community for co-owners Raul Aguilera and Luis Raga. Dive into their growth journey.

Power your day with a pocketable POS

See how -/^

Operating Your Business

Reem's California — How Reem’s California Grew From Pop-up to Powerhouse

by Maya Rollings

Aug 11, 2025 — 4 min read

Chef Reem Assil turned a farmers-market booth into a celebrated Arab street bakery and restaurant by pairing Middle Eastern hospitality with Square’s handheld ordering and data tools.

Growing Your Team

3 Ways San Francisco Employers Support Their Staff and Create Loyal Teams

by Wendy Ramunno

Aug 11, 2025 — 4 min read

From unionized bookstores to worker-owned bakeries, San Francisco business owners are investing in staff through fair wages, technology, and strong community ties.

Reaching Customers

My Favorite Local Marketing Tips From Businesses That Are Always Packed

by Katie Miller

Aug 05, 2025 — 4 min read

From Instagram-ready experiences to smart loyalty programs, learn about the local marketing moves that enabled two San Francisco businesses to turn their foot traffic into loyal fanbases.

Operating Your Business

Starting a Pop-Up in San Francisco? Lo-Fi Oyster Co. Founders Share 7 Tips

by Natalie Zunker

Aug 04, 2025 — 6 min read

Before co-founding Lo-Fi Oyster Co., Emma Thomas-Sand and Justin Esposito immersed themselves in San Francisco’s food and music scenes. Now, they’re sharing lessons on building a pop-up business rooted in passion, community, and collaboration.

Operating Your Business

Latte Orders Are Up 21%—Square Data Reveals San Francisco Spending Habits

by Natalie Zunker

Jul 14, 2025 — 6 min read

Discover the latest San Francisco spending habits, from latte booms to Friday super-burritos. Learn how local owners are making data-driven menu, staffing, and marketing decisions for smarter business growth.

Learn how Green Apple Books tracks sales and navigates costs

Watch the episode -/^

Forever Neighbor: Sam Mogannam of the Bi-Rite Family of Businesses

Operating Your Business

Forever Neighbor: Presented by Square — SN.02/EP.04 Forever Neighbor: Sam Mogannam of the Bi-Rite Family of Businesses

by Square, Ramzi Budayr

Jun 24, 2025 — 31 min

Dolores Deluxe owner and Forever Neighbor podcast host Ramzi Budayr sits down with Bi-Rite owner Sam Mogannam about building community through food, leading with love, and turning a neighborhood market into a San Francisco institution.

Forever Neighbor: Presented by Square — SN.02/EP.03 Emma Thomas-Sand and Justin Esposito of Lo-Fi Oyster Co.

by Square

Jun 17, 2025 — 21 min

What started as a simple oyster pop-up for Lo-Fi Oyster Co. has grown to a full-blown event series, fusing food, and jazz to reimagine how community can come together in a shared space.

No. 4 Bay Area Stalwart La Mediterranee Has Kept Its Staying Power

by Kristen Hawley

Jun 13, 2025 — 2 min read

Many things about the restaurant business have changed in the last half-century. La Mediterranee kept the things that made it special in the first place.

Managing Your Finances

Brick-and-Mortar in the Digital Age: How We Wrangle Costs to Stay Ahead at Green Apple Books

by Pete Mulvihill

Jun 11, 2025 — 5 min read

Insights from three decades at the helm of Green Apple Books reveal how relentless cost discipline, real-time data, strategic tech adoption, and deep community engagement can keep an independent bookstore not just afloat but thriving.

Operating Your Business

Green Apple Books — How Data and Technology Helped Green Apple Books Grow and Expand

by Jed Donahue

Jun 11, 2025 — 4 min read

Green Apple Books is an institution, but with slim margins in a high-cost-of-living area, they've had to get creative and become experts in efficiency. Learn how they thrived and expanded in this challenging environment.

Eileen Rinaldi of Ritual Coffee Roasters

Operating Your Business

Forever Neighbor: Presented by Square — SN.02/EP.02 Eileen Rinaldi of Ritual Coffee Roasters

Jun 10, 2025 — 23 min

Ritual Coffee founder Eileen Rinaldi joins the Forever Neighbor podcast to reflect on two decades of building a mission-driven business, the evolution of San Francisco’s coffee culture, and what it means to grow with — and for — your community.

Selling Anywhere

La Taqueria’s Journey from San Francisco Staple to National Icon

by Kira Deutch, Deborah Findling

Jun 04, 2025 — 3 min read

Miguel Jara, founder of La Taqueria in San Francisco's Mission District, transformed his craving for authentic Mexican tacos into a beloved culinary institution, blending tradition with innovation. With no formal culinary training, his dedication to fresh ingredients and personal touches has made La Taqueria a cornerstone of the community and a celebrated destination for food lovers worldwide.

Forever Neighbor: Presented by Square — SN.02/EP.01 Dario Barbone of Studio Aurora

Jun 03, 2025 — 24 min

In a special episode of The Forever Neighbor Podcast, host Ramzi Budayr spotlights Studio Aurora, a vibrant venue in San Francisco's Mission District where art, food, and community intersect. Owner Dario Barbone shares his inspiring journey from molecular medicine to creating this dynamic cultural hub.

Reaching Customers

The Mellow SF — How The Mellow SF Runs Its 3-In-1 Business With One POS

by Maya Rollings

May 13, 2025 — 4 min read

Read how this multifaceted business uses a singular point-of-sale system to run its retail shop, coffee bar, and barbershop.

Operating Your Business

Roaming Goat — How Roaming Goat Uses Square Handheld To Expand Its Footprint

by Maya Rollings

May 13, 2025 — 3 min read

Jacob Paronyan, an Armenian-born restaurateur, founded Roaming Goat in San Francisco to celebrate his Armenian cuisine and culture. Here's how he leveraged Square solutions to manage and expand his restaurant.

Operating Your Business

Flower Friends SF — How Square Checking Helped This Floral Design Studio Bloom

by Maya Rollings

Jan 17, 2025 — 3 min read

See how this thriving floral design studio burst onto the events scene.

Operating Your Business

How This Restaurant Aims to Become a Neighborhood Staple

by Deborah Findling

Oct 25, 2023 — 2 min read

San Francisco–based modern Italian restaurant Itria might be relatively new to the scene but has already had several lives. The restaurant tested several menus as diner preferences evolved from 2021 to today.

Reaching Customers

Plant Therapy — How Plant Therapy Doubled Spend Among Loyalty Customers With Its Rewards Program

by Square

Aug 11, 2023 — 3 min read

This beloved urban plant shop doubled spend and encouraged repeat business from loyal customers using a rewards program.

Operating Your Business

How Yo También Cantina Created a Restaurant With 9 Different Revenue Streams

by Maya Rollings

Apr 06, 2023 — 4 min read

This cantina in the heart of San Francisco is meeting customers where they are and expanding their business in unique ways. Take a look at how this business went from pop up to a multihyphenate business.

Operating Your Business

Miette Patisserie & Confiserie — How Miette Patisserie Increased Cake Sales by 105%

by Square

Jun 03, 2022 — 3 min read

Integrating eCommerce with their POS helped this bakery grow its bottom line.

Operating Your Business

Outside Lands — More Than Music: How Outside Lands Utilizes Technology to Create Memorable Experiences

by Kaitlin Keefer

Feb 28, 2020 — 5 min read

Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco sees over 200,000 people. Learn how they are using Square to create a memorable customer experience that keeps lines moving.

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Around the Corner: New York City Edition

Meet the business owners, employees, and customers who keep the five boroughs thriving. Around the Corner: New York City Edition is your NYC neighborhood business guide, showcasing inspiring local business success stories from Manhattan's Upper West Side to Harlem, Queens, Brooklyn and beyond. This collection highlights real-life lessons from local entrepreneurs on what it takes to operate in the city, stand out, and build community.

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Around the Corner: San Francisco Edition

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