Sweet Joanna’s Cafe, the nearly 35-year-old sandwich and bakery counter tucked into the University of San Francisco’s downtown Folger Building, is staring down the possibility of closure after the school told owner Joseph Abughosh it will not renew the cafe’s lease. For decades, the small shop has been a weekday anchor for students, staff, and Financial District workers who count on its modest prices and quick service. Abughosh says a recent personal call from the university president has left him cautiously optimistic, even as he has urged regulars to speak up.
As reported by NBC Bay Area, USF told the cafe last month that it does not plan to renew the lease and plans to transition to a new food service partner while a replacement is selected. In a prepared statement, USF spokesperson Mary McInerney said the decision was made only after careful consideration and that it does not diminish our appreciation for the cafe's long history. The news landed after the cafe had already struggled through pandemic losses and a sluggish recovery in downtown foot traffic.
Abughosh told NBC Bay Area he is hopeful after a phone call with President Salvador Aceves, yet he remains unsure what comes next. In the immediate aftermath, he briefly taped up a blunt sign that read, "After 35 years, USF is throwing us out," and encouraged customers to email the university, though he later took down most of the protest posters as a gesture of goodwill. Staff say they are keeping weekday service running as usual while they wait for word from the administration.
Neighborhood Staple With Deep Roots
Sweet Joanna’s opened in 1992, founded by Abughosh, and has since been recognized locally as a long-running family business, including praise from the USF-affiliated Gellert Family Business Center. The cafe’s own website lists its address at 101 Howard Street and highlights its decades of serving breakfast, lunch and catering tied to campus life. For many students, the prices matter as much as the nostalgia. One graduate student told NBC Bay Area that you can still get a meal on campus there for about $15 after tax, which counts as a rare affordable option in the current downtown landscape.
What’s Next For The Cafe
Abughosh says he has not received any firm details from the university about timing or a replacement food service partner, leaving the shop’s long-term fate up in the air. For now, he and his team are focused on serving customers and holding out hope that some kind of deal can be worked out that keeps the decades-old business in place. Community members have been asked to contact USF’s administration to share their concerns while the university reviews its next food service arrangements.
