Sam Mogannam

This fall, Sam Mogannam is opening Bi-Rite Cafe in downtown San Francisco, the latest of his Bi-Rite family of businesses.

“It’s a pretty awesome collaboration with the city of San Francisco and adjacent to a new children’s playground, part of a bigger project to create human engagement in the heart of the Civic Center,” he says. The quick-service, all-day cafe will offer outdoor seating to unwind over breakfast pastries, egg dishes, signature salads, and sandwiches, soft serve ice cream, and popsicles. There will also be a full line of coffee and espresso drinks.

Human engagement has been his lifework. In addition to the beloved and long-running Bi-Rite Market in the Mission District, Mogannam oversees Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop, Bi-Rite Catering, and Bi-Rite Farms, whose organic produce is stocked in the company’s stores. Both the flagship market and the newer Bi-Rite Divisidero feature a host of specialty items as well as carefully sourced meat, poultry, and seafood, and seasonal, restaurant-quality prepared foods.

Mogannam is a second-generation owner, a trained chef, and the founder of 18 Reasons, another arm of the business now celebrating its 10th anniversary. The nonprofit is a subsidized cooking and nutrition school benefiting low-income communities throughout the Bay Area. 

Taking good care of his 320 or so employees is another concern. They are offered health insurance, a free meal with each shift, and a profit-sharing program, among other perks.

Looking at the even larger picture, Bi-Rite became a Certified B Corporation in 2015, meeting verification standards for public transparency and using the power of markets to solve social and environmental problems. “Connecting food and community is what we do,” he says.

Bi-Rite Cafe is a collaboration with the city of San Francisco and adjacent to a new playground, part of a project to create human engagement in the heart of the Civic Center.--Julie Besonen