Italian Cafe La Piazza Picked for Union Square Kiosk That Tyler Florence Gave Up

A new Italian cafe called La Piazza has been recommended to take over the city-owned kiosk on the west side of Union Square, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department announced Friday, Oct. 9.

The deal

La Piazza comes from the Bay Area restaurant group behind Colibri and Il Parco in the Presidio, according to the department. The Recreation and Park Commission is expected to consider a nine-year lease next week with Buen Rallo LLC, the company that will run it. The department says the cafe would serve Italian food and drinks seven days a week, from morning coffee into the evening. The San Francisco Chronicle describes it as an espresso and pizza bar.

The space becomes available March 1, and the cafe is expected to open in spring 2027. B. Patisserie, the Pacific Heights bakery, is running a pop-up in the kiosk until then. A department spokeswoman told the Chronicle that La Piazza will not receive city funding.

The department said more than 100 people took part in its pre-proposal meetings and site visits, and it received 14 eligible proposals. A selection committee with business, tourism and neighborhood expertise ranked Buen Rallo's proposal highest.

"It's great to see new businesses like La Piazza investing in Union Square," Mayor Daniel Lurie said in the announcement, crediting safer and cleaner streets with making it easier for businesses to open.

A kiosk with a rocky history

The same spot drew attention after celebrity chef Tyler Florence opened his Miller & Lux Provisions bakery and cafe there in November 2023. The city gave him several months of free rent and a $440,000 grant as part of its downtown recovery push, but the business lost almost $300,000 in its first year, and Florence left his three-year lease early in 2025, citing low sales and safety concerns, the Chronicle reported.

The city then brought in B. Patisserie on a short-term basis and in April opened bidding for a long-term tenant. The request for proposals describes the west kiosk as a small space next to Powell Street with an espresso setup but no full kitchen, so food is meant to come from a commissary kitchen.