Weekend nights on Mission Street just got a little longer. The San Francisco Entertainment Commission voted unanimously today to approve Bissap Baobab’s request to stay open until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
The commission’s discussion of the matter took all of five minutes. Shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, after commissioners noted that there was no documented opposition to the late night permit, the five of them voted to give the go-ahead.
Marco Senghor, the eatery’s owner, said he feels excited to be able to offer his signature Senegalese hospitality just a little later on weekend nights. At the hearing, a representative of the restaurant said weekend parties would offer flamenco, Afrobeats, salsa, and more.
The late night hours won’t necessarily mean late night drinking, however: By state law, alcohol must stop being served at 2 a.m. Senghor, for his part, said the restaurant would give people a place to sober up after a night out.
Located at 2243 Mission St. between 18th and 19th streets, Bissap Baobab has for decades been a local favorite for African cuisine, Afrobeats tunes, live music, and late night dance. The space, which in 2022 moved around the corner from 19th Street, seeks to replicate “Teranga,” or hospitality as it’s known in Senegal’s native Wolof language, said Senghor.
For Senghor, the extended hours offer an opportunity in an environment he said is “difficult” for small business owners.
“I’m trying to give as much license as possible to my space because during this economy it’s very hard,” said Senghor. “The Mission is already going through very strong difficulties right now, so I feel like why not stay open longer and try to get some of the late night business.”
Senghor said a lot of business came his way from young African engineers who came to work in San Francisco. In the last few years, however, he said he has seen a decline in that community.
And that decline has affected his bottom line.
“As an international space it’s very difficult right now in San Francisco. We don’t see too many international people and that used to be the core of Baobab.”
Senghor added that in recent months he has noticed something he had never seen before: Empty and quiet Mission streets at around 10 p.m. on a weekend night.
“I feel like I’m on an island on Saturday night,” said Senghor. “I stop and look around. I look right and left and I see not even a car driving by and it’s only 9:45 at night. It’s crazy.”
Senghor attributes the lack of foot traffic to a sense of insecurity for people from outside the neighborhood.
Baobab also faced difficulties early on after moving to its current location when a group of neighbors filed noise complaints that delayed the venue’s beer-and-wine license by nearly a year. The venue got a liquor license in August 2023, and Senghor said at the time he planned to distill his own rum.
Kaitlyn Azevedo, the deputy director of San Francisco’s entertainment commission, confirmed to Mission Local before tonight’s vote that the commission did not receive any complaints ahead of the meeting.
Still, Senghor said the venue will turn down the music as a courtesy to its neighbors.
So far, there are six extended hours permits in the neighborhood, most of them for late-night eateries such as El Farolito at Mission and 24th streets and Los Panchos at Valencia and Mission streets. The other two are for two music venues: Rocapulco and Public Works.
“I fully support what they do. The Mission deserves and needs a place like Baobab,” said Mission Merchants Association’s president, Ryen Motzek. “We need our businesses to thrive and survive.”
Moving forward, Senghor would like to see more support for small businesses coming from City Hall.
“I love the Mission. This is where I’ve been here for 30 years,” said Senghor ahead of the hearing. “I can do only what I can with my square footage and I do whatever I can outside to make the place beautiful for people, but the city needs to do some work.”
About the author
Timeless
Timeless Source: missionlocal.org
“My son was murdered in case of mistaken identity
The heartbroken mum of a teen murdered in a case of mistaken identity described the moment she found out her son had died - and how she couldn’t “protect him”. Nikki Knight’s son, Mason Rist, 15, and his friend, Max Dixon, 16, were “hunted down” and stabbed in a “revenge attack” after being wrongly identified as culprits of an earlier incident. The two pals were on their way to get a pizza when Anthony Snook, 45, arrived in his Audi with Riley Tolliver, 18, Kodi Wescott, 17, and two teenagers, aged 15, 16 and 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons. CCTV footage - from Nikki's house - captured the horrific 33 second attack which began when four youth jump of the vehicle on Mason's doorstep, just metres from her the family home in Knowle, Bristol, where he grew […]
Jim’s, Mission diner, will keep cooking under nonprofit ownership
Fear not, we won’t be missing the beloved green salsa at Jim’s Restaurant for some time — breakfast is here to stay. Mission Local has learned that the Mission Language and Vocational School will take over neighborhood mainstay Jim’s, which invited customers in today for its last day in business under current ownership. This afternoon, a line was seen reaching the corner of the building at 20th and Mission streets, and the diner had to take a waitlist for people to get in. Mission Language and Vocational School, a nonprofit that offers workforce development and small business supportive services, will staff the restaurant with graduates from its catering program and culinary school. The nonprofit will keep on Beto, the longtime cook. The owners, husband and wife Kim Ok Un and Kim Jung Nyun, are retiring. MLVS is expected to take over the restaurant […]
Lara Trump withdraws from consideration to replace Rubio in US Senate
By Jasper Ward(Reuters) -Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump, said on Saturday she has removed her name from consideration to replace outgoing U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.Rubio was picked by Trump to serve as secretary of state. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will pick a replacement for Rubio, who is expected to resign as senator when Trump takes office on Jan. 20.There was speculation that Lara Trump, who served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee in the lead-up to the 2024 election, would succeed Rubio in the Senate.Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inboxSee for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.However, in a post on X, Trump said she had decided to remove herself from consideration "after an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many.""I could […]
Hawk on the house
Hawk on the house Source: missionlocal.org
Burglars ransack Southern California homes while posing as deliverymen
Residents are frightened and angry as a group of suspects continue ransacking San Fernando Valley homes, leaving a trail of destruction behind.A Valley Village resident said she was stunned and shaken up after thieves targeted her home on Dec. 17 between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.The break-in was captured on home surveillance cameras as a male suspect approached the house and appeared to be disguised as a delivery man.“Ten minutes after we left [our home], someone was knocking at the door and our dog was barking away,” she said. “Then within a minute, someone had broken into the back of the house, smashed the glass door, came in and locked the dog in a room and just trashed the house. They took all of my jewelry.”Photos of the aftermath showed drawers in every room were removed and emptied and all […]
Related
Timeless
Timeless Source: missionlocal.org
Jim’s, Mission diner, will keep cooking under nonprofit ownership
Fear not, we won’t be missing the beloved green salsa at Jim’s Restaurant for some time — breakfast is here to stay. Mission Local has learned that the Mission Language and Vocational School will take over neighborhood mainstay Jim’s, which invited customers in today for its last day in business under current ownership. This afternoon, a line was seen reaching the corner of the building at 20th and Mission streets, and the diner had to take a waitlist for people to get in. Mission Language and Vocational School, a nonprofit that offers workforce development and small business supportive services, will staff the restaurant with graduates from its catering program and culinary school. The nonprofit will keep on Beto, the longtime cook. The owners, husband and wife Kim Ok Un and Kim Jung Nyun, are retiring. MLVS is expected to take over the restaurant […]
Hawk on the house
Hawk on the house Source: missionlocal.org
Jim’s owners retiring, leaving future of Mission diner unclear
The mom-and-pop owners of Jim’s Restaurant on Mission Street, a community staple for over three decades, will have their last day of work this Saturday, according to the restaurant.Jim’s Restaurant announced that its owners will be retiring after Saturday. It’s unclear, however, whether Jim’s will continue operating under new management. What is clear is it will no longer be the same without Ms. and Mr. Kim. The current owners, Kim Ok Un and Kim Jung Nyun, declined to comment about their retirement or whether Jim’s would continue operating. An Instagram commenter says, “So so sooo happy for you guys!! So well deserved but Jim’s will never be the same without you”.Another says, “Legendary spot just up the street from KPOO. Thanks y’all for the decades of service to the community.”On Friday around noon, the restaurant at 2420 Mission St. between 20th and […]
S.F. police shoot, kill Dior guard turned alleged hit-and-run driver
San Francisco police shot and killed a purportedly armed man they say they tracked down — after he allegedly hit pedestrians and a cyclist with a car on Thursday evening. Assistant Chief David Lazar, who gave a press conference this morning, said the man was believed to be a security guard at Dior, and said he discovered a firearm “on the ground” at the scene that he believed belonged to the guard. He did not give any details about whether the man was armed at the time police shot him. Lazar also could not confirm how many police officers fired their weapons at the man. The driver was allegedly driving on the sidewalk around 6:30 p.m. at Kearny and Post streets and hit two pedestrians, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, Lazar said, in pursuit of a man on an electric bicycle. After hitting […]
Street sheet – Mission Local
Mission Local produces enterprise reporting on San Francisco's most critical issues: police reform, corruption, public health, housing and homelessness. Learn more about us, and donate below keep us reporting.Subscribe to Mission Local's daily newsletter Source: missionlocal.org
