Two of San Francisco's most distinctive creative voices are joining forces to open a luxurious cafe at Pier 29 that's nothing like your typical waterfront coffee shop. Dave Eggers, the literary titan behind McSweeney's and 826 Valencia, has tapped Mokhtar Alkhanshali, the Tenderloin-raised pioneer of specialty Yemeni coffee, to create what they're calling a return to the revolutionary coffeehouses of centuries past.
The announcement arrives as Pier 29's transformation into the city's largest artist studio and exhibition space continues to take shape, with construction now underway for a late summer or fall 2026 opening. According to Eater SF, the cafe will occupy a large space within the 70,000-square-foot Art + Water nonprofit, featuring ornate rugs and plants provided by San Francisco nursery Flora Grubb.
A Coffee Shop Designed for Revolution
"He could have had 1,000 people open a cafe there," Alkhanshali told Eater SF, explaining Eggers' vision. "But what he wants to build, it's going to be its own world." The cafe is modeled after 18th and 19th century coffeehouses in cities like Sana'a, Cairo, and old Boston—places where revolutionary ideas were born over cups of coffee.
Eggers, writing in a blog post for his publishing company McSweeney's, noted that the Embarcadero stretch near Pier 29 is "weirdly free of cafés—or any coffee, period." His vision, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, is for visitors to "luxuriate in a space filled with rugs, pillows, tapestries, silver, copper, and gold." This is decidedly "not a Spartan coffee shop where you get your email," Eggers wrote.
A New Luxury Coffee Brand
According to Eater SF, Alkhanshali's famous Port of Mokha roaster won't be featured in the space. Instead, he's developing what he calls "the first luxury coffee company," utilizing roasted beans sourced from farmer partners across five regions. Drinks will be served alongside food pairings in a setup Alkhanshali compares to high tea or omakase-style service.
The menu details remain under wraps, but will include food accompaniments beyond just pairings, plus chocolates and other specialty goods available for purchase. Alkhanshali also plans to host events and artists in the cafe, reinforcing the Art + Water mission that practitioners can achieve craft and skill in ways that aren't meant to be scalable or profit-seeking.
From Tenderloin Doorman to Coffee Pioneer
Alkhanshali's journey to this moment has been nothing short of extraordinary. Raised in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood by Yemeni parents, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in 2023 that he's become widely recognized as the pioneer of specialty Yemeni coffee in San Francisco after more than a decade importing coffee to the Bay Area.
His story—including a harrowing escape from war-torn Yemen by fishing boat with suitcases of coffee samples—became the subject of Eggers' 2018 book "The Monk of Mokha." According to Alta Online, the two met when Alkhanshali was hired to consult on an HBO pilot Eggers was developing about a fictional young Muslim San Francisco police officer. That friendship evolved into discussions about opening a cafe together that have spanned years.
Part of a Larger Cultural Vision
The cafe represents just one piece of the ambitious Art + Water project at Pier 29. As reported by Community Arts Stabilization Trust, the nonprofit arts organization CAST secured a two-year lease (with an option for a two-year extension) from the San Francisco Port Commission in April 2025, investing $300,000 of its own funds for tenant improvements alongside a $500,000 contribution from the Port.
Art + Water will provide free studio space for 10 established artists in exchange for mentoring 20 emerging artists. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the space will include some 10,000 square feet of gallery space and house San Francisco visual artists including Paul Madonna and Taraneh Hemani.
A Strategic Waterfront Activation
Pier 29 has sat largely vacant since the America's Cup races in 2013, according to the San Francisco Port, occasionally serving as parking or special event space. The Art + Water project represents a strategic activation of underutilized waterfront real estate at a time when San Francisco's commercial vacancy rates have reached historic highs.
"We approached the Port with a belief that vacant space like Pier 29 could be transformed into a vibrant center of activity," CAST CEO Ken Ikeda told the Port of San Francisco. Mayor Daniel Lurie added that "our arts and culture are driving San Francisco's comeback, and this new space at Pier 29 is another exciting step in the right direction."
Coffee as Cultural Catalyst
The timing aligns with broader trends in San Francisco's coffee scene. The San Francisco Chronicle noted in 2024 that cultural influences are playing a central role for new shops, bringing unprecedented diversity to the cup, including Yemeni, Indonesian, Latino and Asian flavors. Yemeni coffee has been booming in the Bay Area, with cafes like Mohka House, Sana'a Cafe, and Delah Coffee brewing aromatic spiced drinks.
Eggers co-founded the internationally recognized 826 Valencia youth writing center in the Mission District in 2002, which has since inspired over 70 similar organizations worldwide, according to 826 Valencia. He's also the founder of McSweeney's, an independent publishing company, and has won numerous literary awards including the 2024 John Newbery Medal.
The cafe and Art + Water project are expected to open in late summer or fall 2026, with a first exhibition program planned to showcase the work of Oakland musician and filmmaker Boots Riley.
