A prominent culinary figure is making her most ambitious Ferry Building bet yet, as A16 owner Shelley Lindgren announced plans for Lucania, a southern Italian restaurant that will finally fill the MarketBar space that's sat empty for over five years. The news marks a significant milestone in the Ferry Building's post-pandemic recovery and establishes Lindgren as one of the waterfront landmark's most committed restaurateurs.
According to The Standard, Lucania will open in the second half of 2026 in the nearly 3,000-square-foot space that housed MarketBar for 17 years until its abrupt closure in April 2020. The ambitious project features a massive outdoor patio seating 140 diners, complete with "massive umbrellas," heaters, and wind barriers designed to evoke dining al fresco on an Italian piazza. Lindgren tells the publication she's particularly excited about having a "front-row seat" to the city's planned renovation of Embarcadero Plaza across the street.
A Proven Ferry Building Player
This isn't Lindgren's first Ferry Building rodeo. The James Beard Award-winning wine director, who was knighted by the Italian government for her dedication to Italian wine, has steadily expanded her presence at the landmark food hall since the pandemic began. What started as a holiday pop-up selling Italian food baskets in 2021 evolved into A16 La Pala, a permanent Roman-style pizza counter that opened in early 2024. Now, with Lucania, she's doubling down with a full-service restaurant that will operate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., addressing the Ferry Building's ongoing quest to become more of an evening destination.
According to The Chronicle, Lucania's menu will focus on "simple but classic" southern Italian fare, with special emphasis on a "Pesce Blu" section featuring marinated anchovies, roasted sardines, and steamed mussels. The restaurant will serve pizzas, pastas, and salads, maintaining A16's commitment to authentic Italian techniques while embracing the relaxed atmosphere that Lindgren envisions for the space.
Management's Strategic Shake-Up
Lucania's announcement comes amid considerable controversy over Ferry Building management's approach to tenant renewals. The building has seen a string of popular businesses forced out in recent months, including Grande Crêperie and Reem's, both of which described their closures as "sudden" despite successful operations. According to The Standard, Grande Crêperie owners claimed they received a verbal commitment for lease renewal in January, only to be told they were no longer part of the "cultural mix" and had to vacate by spring.
Ferry Building management, operated by Hudson Pacific Properties, has been unapologetic about prioritizing full-service restaurants with longer hours over counter-service operations. As The Chronicle reported in December, management deliberately structured shorter-term leases for businesses like Reem's and Red Bay Coffee "to allow us to fully renovate these spaces to accommodate such a full-service restaurant." The strategy aims to enhance evening accessibility and draw more nighttime crowds to the waterfront destination.
Ferry Building's Complex Recovery
While Lucania represents a victory for the Ferry Building's occupancy goals, the landmark's recent trajectory has been marked by both triumphant openings and controversial closures. The Standard noted in September 2024 that Ferry Building general manager Jane Connors declared the landmark "the great hope of San Francisco," a statement that seemed overly optimistic just a few years ago but reflects genuine momentum.
The building's recent success stories include Nite Yun's acclaimed Cambodian restaurant Lunette, which opened in June 2024, and Nopa Fish from chef Laurence Jossel, which SFGATE reported opened in early 2025. Even bigger changes are coming: the Michelin-starred Sorrel team is preparing to open both Arquet restaurant and Parachute Bakery in the former Slanted Door space, with openings expected in August or September.
The MarketBar Legacy
The space Lucania will occupy carries significant Ferry Building history. MarketBar was among the first wave of tenants when the building reopened as a food hall in 2003, and The Chronicle reported that its closure announcement in February 2020 actually preceded the pandemic shutdown by about two weeks. Owner Doug Biederbeck cited unsuccessful lease negotiations with Hudson Pacific Properties, which acquired the Ferry Building in 2018 for $291 million.
MarketBar's 17-year run represented the Ferry Building's first golden age, when it established itself as a culinary destination alongside anchor tenants like The Slanted Door and original merchants such as Cowgirl Creamery and Acme Bread. SFist noted that the loss of both MarketBar and The Slanted Door left the Ferry Building without the anchor restaurants that had provided evening energy for over a decade.
Strategic Timing and Urban Recovery
Lindgren's timing appears strategic, coinciding with broader downtown San Francisco recovery efforts and the Ferry Building's renewed momentum. Her enthusiasm for the planned Embarcadero Plaza renovation suggests coordination with larger urban planning initiatives designed to revitalize the waterfront corridor. The decision to maintain A16 La Pala alongside Lucania demonstrates confidence in the Ferry Building's capacity to support multiple dining concepts from the same operator.
Industry observers note that successful Ferry Building tenants typically need deep pockets and long-term vision, qualities Lindgren has demonstrated through A16's 21-year history and expansion to locations in Oakland, Napa, and Tokyo. Her reputation as both a restaurateur and wine expert—Penguin Random House notes she co-authored three cookbooks and serves on multiple industry boards—provides additional credibility for such an ambitious undertaking.
Looking Forward
With Lucania's 2026 opening still more than a year away, the announcement serves as much as a statement of confidence in downtown San Francisco's trajectory as a restaurant opening. The project's scale and timeline suggest Lindgren sees the Ferry Building not just recovering to pre-pandemic levels, but evolving into something more robust and diverse than it was before.
As SFist observed, Lucania will mark the completion of the Ferry Building's post-pandemic transformation, making it "fully occupied again for the first time since the pandemic." For a landmark that spent much of 2021 with prominent dark spaces, that represents a remarkable turnaround—and positions the Ferry Building once again as the city's premier food destination.
