Mission Bay food emporium set to break ground

One of the latest players in the development of San Francisco's once-sleepy Mission Bay neighborhood is set to start construction next week and open in a couple months.

The Market Hall, a massive upscale grocery and restaurant concept that will land at the base of the Channel Mission Bay apartment development, has undergone a lengthy building permit process, said founder Tony Riviera, but as his team prepares last-minute materials for the city, he said it looks like construction will start next week.

"We were ready to start building when all of a sudden we had to put elevators for the mezzanine," Riviera explained. "Thankfully, we've been able to get all our refrigeration ordered so our buildout should only take 60 days once we start."

The 10,000-square-foot site, which Riviera announced in June, is conceived as a grocery and specialty foods emporium — similar to New York's Eataly or Dean & DeLuca. It will have a heavy focus on prepared foods, such as sushi and rotisserie chicken on a spit, as well as a grocery department featuring seafood, meat, poultry and locally sourced produce and cheese.

Designed by Chesmore Buck Architects with interiors from Jane Kim Design, the site will also include a full-service, 60-seat restaurant with a menu including Neopolitan pizza, a raw bar, oysters and small plates. Riviera has also brought on board Gina Marie Clemen, formerly of Dean & Deluca in Napa and New York, as The Market Hall's general manager.

The San Francisco site won't be Riviera's only one. While it will be the flagship, he's also working on locations in San Diego, Seattle and Dallas.

Annie covers hospitality & food.