Richmond residents will now find the former Cafe Muse space at 8th Avenue and Fulton unrecognizable. New owners Vashelle To, Vananson Lam and Brian Tran have renovated the longtime cafe, which closed this August after 20 years, and relaunched it as Rise & Grind.
To is a wedding photographer and former barista at Home in the Outer Sunset. Her boyfriend Lam owns East Bay gourmet corndog business Sticks. Tran is a real estate agent and former owner of Pop-Up Cafe in the Tenderloin.
“I used to be a barista in the Sunset. I loved it," To said. "[Vananson] came to visit me all the time. We wanted our own place.”
Rise & Grind, which quietly opened for business last Friday, sits on the bottom floor of a condominium building near the 44 and 5 bus lines, a 24-hour Safeway and Golden Gate Park. The owners are conscious of the mix of residents and tourists nearby, and are aiming to create a comfortable space for them; To is even prepared to give sight-seeing tips from behind the counter. (On our visit, she offered details about a secret tiny door under a tree in front of Golden Gate Park's Music Concourse.)
Rise & Grind features Mr. Espresso coffee from Oakland, which uses oak wood instead of gas for roasting, giving it a less acidic and “full-bodied Italian flavor." Specialty drinks include a crème brûlée latte and a tea latte named "the Sunset."
Also available are Devil’s Teeth Baking Company pastries and housemade Belgian waffles.
Rise & Grind's tentative hours are 6:30am-7pm on weekdays and 8am-5pm on weekends.
