A corner storefront at Polk and Post streets has chewed through at least five businesses in the past 15 years, and the two men now trying to fill it have never run a bar or restaurant in their lives. Anthony Niboli and Ronald Rodriguez are pushing ahead anyway, aiming to open a wine bar called Innerbloom at 1101 Polk St. by January, if not sooner.
Niboli, who previously worked in advertising and organized CabFest, an annual San Francisco wine festival, doesn't sugarcoat the challenge. He has described the location itself as cursed, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The site spent a decade as Eleven O One before that restaurant closed. Robinson's Cafe is listed as permanently closed, while Piroo is identified as a Nepali restaurant. Three separate establishments have opened and closed at the address since 2021 alone, per the Chronicle's reporting.
Rodriguez, a commercial lawyer who is keeping his day job while the wine bar gets off the ground, lived in Lower Nob Hill for about a dozen years and now lives on a boat moored in Alameda. Both men are from Fresno. Niboli is self-funding the project, and the pair say neighboring businesses — including New India Bazar next door and Jackalope across the street — have been supportive as work continues, the Chronicle reports.
Flooding, Broken Glass and a Daily Fix-It List
The building itself has given the founders plenty to worry about. Commercial real estate records reviewed by LoopNet describe the property, whose lower level has long suffered rain-related flooding. Per the Chronicle's account, the cellar beneath 1101 Polk St. has flooded with every rainfall, and Niboli and Rodriguez are now working to seal the leaks.
Damage hasn't stopped there. The storefront's front-facing windows and the flowerpots outside were both broken after the pair took possession of the space, according to the Chronicle. Niboli has said simply that the two of them are fixing problems every day. Still, he believes Innerbloom can become something special, the paper reports.
Flowers, Wine and a Neighborhood Stage
The concept blends a flower shop with a wine and small-plates bar. Innerbloom plans to sell flowers alongside food and drinks, with a florist friend having agreed to create arrangements for the space, according to the Chronicle. Niboli originally wanted to call the business Flowers and Wine before settling on Innerbloom, a name drawn from a 2016 song by Rüfüs Du Sol.
Niboli is developing what the Chronicle describes as a heavily Californian wine list, drawing on his CabFest background and plans to build relationships directly with nearby winery owners. Event listings reviewed by WhatNow SF note that Niboli previously operated a wine tour bus and intends to curate the list around small, family-owned wineries. The bar plans to serve wine, beer and small plates, along with baked goods and little bites designed for wine pairings, and the owners intend to hire a chef who will have broad control over the food menu.
Innerbloom also aims to double as a community art and music venue. The owners are sourcing an artist to paint a mural and plan to set aside a section for visual artists, especially those based in the neighborhood, to exhibit work. They have ambitions to host DJs on weekends and hope the space becomes a venue for acoustic and jazz musicians, with a parklet planned for live music on Polk Street — though Innerbloom must first secure the necessary permits before building it.
City Rules Could Complicate the Music Plans
Those permits aren't a formality. Innerbloom must secure the necessary approvals before building a parklet for live music or acoustic performances, according to SF.gov. The city has moved what were once temporary pandemic-era music permits into a permanent legislated framework, the same city guidance notes. The owners will also have to account for city rules governing sidewalk seating and curbside parklets. More broadly, WhatNow SF reported in August 2026 that Niboli had updated Innerbloom's target opening window to early 2027 while the team purchases kitchen equipment and begins municipal health and safety reviews — putting the project's public timeline slightly later than the January goal cited elsewhere.
The founders' timing lines up with a broader push at City Hall to fill vacant storefronts. Mayor Daniel Lurie's vision for San Francisco revitalization helped motivate Niboli and Rodriguez to pursue the project, according to the Chronicle. Lurie's administration has also focused on city permitting, per SF.gov. In April, Lurie and civic partners launched a $25 million Downtown Business Fund offering move-in grants of up to $500,000 for businesses activating vacant storefronts, as reported by the San Francisco Standard.
Innerbloom would join an already wine-heavy stretch of Polk Street. Hoodline previously covered a nearby wine bar's debut. The corridor also includes other businesses, including Ora Wine Bar. The block's history runs even deeper, a reminder of just how many chapters this single storefront has already lived through.
