In a neighborhood peppered with coffee shops, Beacon Coffee & Pantry may have seemed like a long shot when it opened in North Beach nearly five years ago. Situated across from the new Joe DiMaggio Playground, with a perfect view of Coit Tower, it has become one of the busiest cafés in the area.

Now, owner Alexis Liu has teamed up with her partner Scott Clark, formerly chef de cuisine at 3-Michelin-starred Saison, on two big projects: their 1-year-old daughter, Frost, and Dad’s Luncheonette in Half Moon Bay.

The couple make their home in North Beach, just steps away from Beacon Coffee. After their daughter was born, they were inspired to take on a new project, despite the difficulty of dividing their time between their careers and their family.

"The inspiration was really her," Liu told us, nodding to daughter Frost, sitting contentedly in Clark’s arms. "She was the driver for all of this. We were just thinking of a way that we could work together—both in raising a family, and as a way to put our heads together on a creative project."

The restaurateur couple spent a lot of time on the coast, and it was just a matter of time before they collaborated on something there. When they found the property, a historic train caboose right on Highway 1, the plan fell together.

"It was a natural next step for us," said Liu. "We were always up and down that highway."

For Clark, opening up Dad's Luncheonette has been a study in contrasts with San Francisco's fine dining world. While he told us that the stresses and pressures are the same as a chef, there was one big difference. 

"For me, it’s much better being able to talk to somebody over a $14 meal than a $400 meal," he said. "I feel more at home, more at ease being able to do this."

Back on the home front, Beacon has become a local fixture in North Beach. With the place busier and more popular than ever, are there any changes on the horizon?

Liu told us that in the near future, nothing would change, although they're looking at ways to change up the food and considering adding one or two items from Dad's Luncheonette.

"Luis (the manager at Beacon) and I work really closely together," she said, "and we're always talking about ways to make the place better. We don’t want to change too much, though!"