San Francisco's homegrown boba institution Little Sweet is setting up its next outpost right in the thick of Fisherman's Wharf's ongoing comeback story. Hoodline San Francisco spotted a freshly branded Little Sweet storefront at 333 Jefferson St. — inside the Anchorage Square complex, recently rebranded as Anchor's Landing — with the chain's signature teal and orange graphics already blanketing the windows and QR codes plastered to the doors. The lights are on, the branding is done. The boba is not yet flowing.
The Little Sweet storefront at Anchorage Square (Anchor's Landing), 333 Jefferson St. — John Rohen / Hoodline San Francisco Photojournalist
The new location's address is 333 Jefferson St. — squarely in the heart of Fisherman's Wharf. Hoodline SF reached out to Little Sweet to learn more, but has not yet received a statement in response.
A Local Chain With Deep SF Roots
Little Sweet isn't a newcomer looking to plant a flag. Little Sweet was founded in San Francisco in 2012, rooted in traditional Taiwanese pearl milk tea — freshly brewed, handcrafted to order, and customizable down to sweetness level and toppings. Their Instagram bio currently lists nine active SF addresses: Valencia Street, O'Farrell, Geary Boulevard (two locations), 9th Avenue, 20th Street, Kearny, Powell, and Montgomery. A Jefferson Street location would be the tenth, and by far their most tourist-facing.
The chain's existing footprint skews heavily residential-neighborhood — Inner Richmond, Inner Sunset, Mission, Japantown, SoMa. This would be a meaningful gear shift into one of the city's most visitor-heavy corridors, adjacent to Pier 39 and a short stroll from Ghirardelli Square. Little Sweet already has a dedicated following, with some locations featuring karaoke alongside the boba — though no word yet on whether the Wharf edition will carry that particular amenity.
Anchorage Square's Slow-Burn Revival
The building Little Sweet is moving into has had a turbulent few years. Los Angeles-based BH Properties acquired the 322,000-square-foot Anchorage Square complex in August 2023 for $65 million — a steep discount from the $85 million its previous ownership had paid back in 2004, according to BH Properties. The pandemic had gutted the center's retail tenancy, and BH came in with declared ambitions to transform what had become a ghost town of a shopping center into a "captivating and immersive space," per renovation permits filed in early 2024, as reported by SF YIMBY.
The revival has been deliberate and slow-moving — until recently. A Taco Bell Cantina opened there on Dec. 30 as Anchorage Square's first new tenant, bringing late-night tacos and alcohol to the waterfront for the first time. Little Sweet, if it opens as expected, would be among the next wave.
What the Photos Tell Us
Rohen's photos document a storefront that is clearly retail-ready in terms of branding but hasn't crossed the threshold into open. The windows carry full Little Sweet livery — boba cups, coffee beans, brand colors, and the chain's "@littlesweetsf" Instagram handle — alongside two separate QR codes: one for ordering, one linking directly to their Instagram profile. The exterior shot captures the Anchor's Landing directory signage standing nearby, suggesting the complex is actively marketing its new tenant lineup. What's conspicuously absent: any "Now Open," "Opening Soon," or date signage of any kind.
The Wharf's Boba Landscape
Boba options in the immediate Fisherman's Wharf area have historically been sparse. The neighborhood's draw is tourist-forward seafood, souvenir shops, and waterfront nostalgia — not the kind of foot traffic that typically supports a dedicated bubble tea shop. Little Sweet's bet here is that the blend of tourists and the dense residential population in adjacent North Beach, Russian Hill, and the waterfront apartment complexes creates a viable customer base year-round, not just in summer peak season.
It's a model that San Francisco's boba market has generally supported: Chowhound rates Little Sweet among the city's best, noting the chain's consistency and quality across its multiple SF outposts. With a fresh, handcrafted approach and a price point well below the tourist-trap premium that most Wharf businesses command, they may find a genuinely loyal local following in addition to the walk-in visitor crowd.
An opening date has not been announced. Hoodline SF will continue to monitor the storefront for further developments.
