Celebrity chef Tyler Florence celebrates opening of 2 San Francisco Union Square cafes
Celebrity chef and Food Network star Tyler Florence is doubling down on his efforts to breathe new life into the heart of Union Square, just in time for the holiday season.
Miller & Lux Provisions, inspired by his Chase Center steakhouse, offers sweet and savory options on each side of the plaza.
"We want this to be a place where you kind of come through every day, because it just makes you feel good," Florence said. "It's humanity."
City leaders celebrated the official opening of the patisserie and rotisserie and the private-public partnership with a ribbon cutting. The openings are part of San Francisco's larger revitalization plan to bring more people downtown.
Florence is betting big on its comeback.
"I got a chance to speak to hundreds of people yesterday and today, and I feel like we healed some broken hearts, I really feel that, because when people walked through, they didn't know how long these places had been abandoned and they didn't know if anything was coming," said Florence.
Earlier this year, Florence won a bid to open the two cafes.
"Thank you for supporting and believing in San Francisco, because we know that this city has been through tough times," said Mayor London Breed at Tuesday's press conference. "But we also know what we're made of. We have been through earthquakes, pandemics, everything that you can think of and still San Francisco continues to emerge better and stronger than ever before."
Breed said 27 new businesses have opened in Union Square over the last 15 months. Visitor activity increased more than 15% from January to September of this year, in comparison to the same time period last year.
"You have to agree with the audience, it's been a mess, but that was yesterday and today is today," said Florence. "So, I think we all need to decide collectively as a city, that we're all going to in this together pushing forward."
Florence said he signed a nine-year lease. He also encouraged those in the hospitality space to explore leasing spaces in San Francisco and take advantage of significant discounts. The current office vacancy rate downtown sits at about 30%.
On Tuesday, the mayor also pledged to add more police officers and ambassadors in Union Square this holiday season.
"People are walking through the park, they'll stumble across this place, they'll hear the music, they'll smell the fresh baked croissants, they'll taste the coffee, and they'll feel like San Francisco is a wonderful place to be," added Florence.
