Barista Will Open New Cafe in NoPa Neighborhood
The local coffee shop is set to move into a former Starbucks space in late 2026.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Barista will open its second San Francisco location at 1799 Fulton St in late October or early November 2026. The new cafe occupies a storefront that served as a Starbucks until it closed permanently at the end of 2024.
Why it matters
The expansion reflects shifting retail footprints in San Francisco as local independent businesses occupy storefronts vacated by national chains. This transition follows broader corporate efforts by Starbucks to close hundreds of locations across North America.
Barista is expanding to a second San Francisco location following its initial opening in 2023. Meanwhile, Starbucks plans to close 250 stores across North America, including 13 locations within the Bay Area.
The players
Barista
An independent coffee shop operator that currently maintains a location on Sacramento Street.
Starbucks
A global coffeehouse chain currently in the process of closing 250 stores across North America.
Lucky
A grocery store chain that recently shuttered its location across from the new cafe site.
The details
The upcoming Barista cafe is situated in the NoPa neighborhood, near the University of San Francisco campus. The expansion comes shortly after the nearby Lucky grocery store closed its doors on September 11, 2026.
Timeline
The Starbucks at 1799 Fulton St closed permanently at the end of 2024.
The original Barista location opened in 2023.
The Lucky grocery store closed on September 11, 2026.
Starbucks has a store retrofit deadline of September 30, 2026.
Barista is expected to open its new cafe between October and November 2026.
Market Landscape
The transition of this retail space underscores a broader contraction of major national coffee chains in urban corridors. Local independent cafes are increasingly moving into these vacant footprints, signaling a shift in neighborhood commercial dynamics.
Residents of the NoPa neighborhood will gain a new coffee option as the company moves into the former Starbucks site. This arrival provides a local alternative for those living or studying near the University of San Francisco.
The takeaway
Independent coffee shops are finding new opportunities by revitalizing storefronts previously occupied by national retailers. Consumers in the area can expect a change in their local coffee options as these smaller brands continue to scale within the city.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest retail shifts in the city in our San Francisco Openings & Closings section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KRON4.
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