The original home of Philz Coffee at 24th and Folsom is about to swap pour-overs for produce, as a new grocery prepares to move into the long-vacant corner spot at 3101 24th St, according to neighborhood observers and workers on site.
Crews have been busy this week stripping the interior and rebuilding it for retail use, bringing fresh activity back to a high-traffic corner that has sat empty since the café closed. Nearby merchants say they are banking on the new market to finally plug a stubborn gap in small-grocer options along the corridor.
Paperwork filed earlier this month lists a business called “La Rancho” applying to open a market at 3101 24th St. Workers told reporters the store is expected to stock a mix of organic, Mexican, Western and Arabic groceries. Cornelia Roppel said the opening could come within about two weeks, while neighborhood organizer Susana Rojas said merchants were already walking the owner up and down 24th Street to make introductions and smooth the way for an opening, according to Mission Local.
From Philz to produce
The grocery marks a new chapter for the corner where Philz first planted its flag in the Mission. Philz Coffee, which was sold to a private equity firm in 2025, shuttered its original Mission café in October 2023 after opting not to renew the lease. The sale and the closure have fed a broader citywide debate over shifting ownership at once-local institutions, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Who owns the building
Public records show the building at 3101 24th St is owned by an LLC linked to Philz co-founder Jacob Jaber, a detail first surfaced when the café shut its doors. Mission Local reviewed deed documents that name Humble Lion LLC and trace the property transfer back to Oct. 12, 2011, with no subsequent ownership changes recorded since then, per earlier reporting by Mission Local.
What’s next
Before La Rancho can welcome shoppers, the market still needs health permits and final occupancy approvals. Local organizers say they are working with the owner to navigate San Francisco’s paperwork maze and are encouraging efforts that keep small retailers in the mix.
Merchants along 24th Street say they hope the new shop will add to the existing network of bodegas and panaderias instead of undercutting them. Hoodline will continue to track city filings and seek confirmation of an official opening date as records become available.
