Almost exactly two months after Café International (508 Haight St., at Fillmore) temporarily shut down, it's returning to business. The popular Lower Haight cafe will reopen tomorrow, March 22, at 8 a.m.
Owner Zahra Saleh was forced to shutter for a soft-story seismic retrofit, which also included upgrades required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. She originally hoped to reopen a month ago, but her return was delayed because the required work on the space wasn't finished in time.
"The building is safe now," she said when a Hoodline reporter dropped by Thursday.
Barricades at the entrance had been removed, and Saleh was rushing to get everything ready in time, including returning art to the cafe's walls. "I have to get back into it after two months of vacation," she joked.
The ADA upgrade means that a stair has been removed from the café's entrance, allowing customers with disabilities to enter barrier-free.
The walls have received a fresh coat of paint, as has the green floor of the backyard, known for its mural painted in 1994 by artist Kemit Amenophis.
Saleh, who has owned the café since 1987, achieved Legacy Business status in 2017. The honor from the city of San Francisco recognizes businesses that are "30 years or older, have contributed to their neighborhood's history, and agree to maintain their identity, name and craft."
At the time, Saleh said that her lease would be up in 2019, and she was concerned about a rent hike. But earning legacy status helped, allowing her to secure a new 10-year lease last fall. (The city's fund for legacy businesses offers owners an annual grant of $500 per full-time employee, and subsidizes their rents at the rate of $4.50 per square foot per year.)
"We also have a new landlord," Saleh said.
Now that the "living room for the neighborhood" is back in action, patrons can expect regular blues sessions on Thursday afternoons, open mic nights every Friday, and jazz music on Sundays, as well as the full selection of drinks, bagels, salads and sandwiches.
To learn more about future events, neighbors can take a look at Café International's Facebook page.
