Catering San Francisco

What The S.F. Underground Market's Shutdown Means For Food Entrepreneurs

For the past two years, the S.F. Underground Market, a members-only event in San Francisco, has catered to vendors who can't afford (or can't be bothered) to deal with conventional farmer's market bureaucracy. The market has ballooned from an event in a private home with eight vendors and 200 attendees to a warehouse gallery event with 47 vendors and over 1,200 people attending. It has played host to quirky vendors with names like the Meat Baller and the Pizza Hacker . And now the San Francisco Department of Public Health has shut it down. What does this mean for budding food entrepreneurs?

It's not easy to get a food startup going; vendors have

That's why Iso Rabins, the founder of ForageSF , originally started the market. Rabins' food startup incubator offers a simple payment plan for vendors: $50 gets a reserved cooking space in the market, and 10% of sales over $500 are returned to ForageSF.

"I think it's an important event in San Francisco as well as a model for Fast Company.

The model has proven successful. KitchenSidecar , a vendor that worked at a bio-consulting firm and ran a food blog prior to the Underground Market, now works full time on her craft with a catering business and a Vietnamese pop-up restaurant. Former architect Nosh This has moved into a commercial kitchen, where wholesale accounts for products like Bacon Crack (chocolate-dipped bacon and butter toffee) have "exploded," according to a blog post from Rabins.

But the Underground Market's popularity is ultimately what prompted the Department of Public Health to shut it down. The market previously escaped problems with the DPH because it was classified as a private club (members have to request to join, and they presumably know that they are eating uncertified food). The market has grown so large that the DPH is now classifying it as a public event, which means it has to deal with standard permitting processes for its vendors--the exact thing it was intended to avoid.

This probably isn't the end of the market. "I want [the city] to define what a private event is," says Rabins. He plans on meeting with the city attorney in the near future. And ultimately, Rabins speculates that he will have to tighten up the Underground Market's membership plan. As it stands, people can can walk off the street into the market and sign up as a member. But in the future, Rabins may ask members to sign up, and pay in advance; walk-ins would be rejected.

San Francisco Design Center – Event Venue San Francisco | Catering ...

The San Francisco Design Center is a wonderful place for home decorators and homeowners to stroll around and find the next great ideas for the places where they live. Designers come in and offer seminars each Wednesday for design professionals, and the center’s various suites host sales and new exhibits highlighting innovative designers in the area.

Centered in the Design District of San Francisco (also known as Showplace Square), the San Francisco Design Center occupies three buildings: the Showplace, the Galleria and the Garden Court. The three buildings combine to hold over 100 showrooms with products from 2,000 different manufacturers, with everything from furnishings and accessories to flooring, fabric, kitchen and baths, closets, and even antiques and fine arts. Buying service representatives are on hand to assist individuals with purchasers from the designers.

There are two different venues available at the San Francisco Design Center. The Galleria Atrium is a popular choice for corporate receptions, fashion shows and gala with brick walls and a skylight that can be opened in the right conditions. Four stories high, the atrium is a dramatic space for guests to gather. As far as capacity, the atrium is quite flexible: if you have a smaller event, you can rent one floor. The upper floors can each host receptions or dinners up to 200. The first floor can seat 300 and accommodate a dance floor, or you can host a reception for up to 1,000 on the first floor.

The Concourse Exhibition Center was once a railway station and has been renovated, covered with sandblasted wood, steel and glass, occupying over 125,000 square feet of space. If you are hosting a major corporate event or exhibition, this site could be ideal for you. It can seat 5,000 for dinner and suit 6,800 for a reception.

The Other Woman Catering can manage your event at the San Francisco Design Center from start to finish, or we can also just provide food and beverage service. Our superior presentation and food preparation will make your evening’s meal a definite conversation piece. If we manage the event for you, all you will have to worry about is what to wear and when to show up.

If you are interested in the San Francisco Design Center as a venue, visit http://www.sfvenues.com . If we can help you at The Other Woman Catering, please give us a call at (650) 326-6911 or visit us online at http://cateringtow.com .

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