SF Taps TV Chef Tyler Florence for Cafes at Union Square

San Francisco may add two must-have foods to draw spenders back to Union Square Plaza: spit-roasted chicken and fresh-baked croissants.

Mayor London Breed announced celebrity chef Tyler Florence was chosen to open two Miller & Lux Provisions cafes at 225 Stockton Street and 350 Powell Street, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The city’s Recreation and Park Commission’s Operations Committee will vote Thursday on whether to allow Florence’s restaurant group, the Corte Madera-based Greater Organization, to open both artisanal cafes.

Leases within the city-owned plaza would run three years, with an option for two extra three-year periods. Financial terms of the pending deal were not disclosed.

If approved, the full commission will vote on Sept. 21. With a green light, the restaurants could open in October.

Florence’s Stockton Street cafe would specialize in savory eats such as spit-roasted chicken and all-day brunch, with farm fresh sides, curated cheeses and charcuterie, with wine, beer and kombucha on tap.

His Powell Street cafe would dish up coffee, croissants and pastries by Karla Marro, the pastry chef at Florence’s Miller & Lux steakhouse that opened in 2021 near Chase Center.

Florence, who for 27 years has starred on the Food Network, also runs the Wayfare Tavern in the Financial District and Tyler Florence Fresh at San Francisco International Airport.

The city’s Recreation Commission, which manages the Union Square plaza, put out a call for bids to operate the two spaces in April, Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg said.

“Great food has always enlivened public spaces and food has certainly shaped San Francisco,” Ginsburg told the Chronicle.

The two new cafes represent a broader effort by the city to revitalize Downtown San Francisco, where offices and businesses have been hit hard by a shift to remote work.

In the last six months, San Francisco has made progress. The mayor’s Roadmap to San Francisco’s Future plan includes new laws to reform taxes, help fill empty stores and make streets safer and cleaner.

Over the last 15 months, 24 new businesses have opened in Union Square, according to the Mayor’s Office, with foot traffic up 22 percent from January to July compared to the first six months of last year.

— Dana Bartholomew