SPRO, One of San Francisco’s Best Coffee Shops, Just Planted Its Flag in Civic Center | Eater SF

"Run by Liza Otanes and Rich Lee, SPRO Coffee is known for playful, inventive, 'over the top' drinks (sangria cold brew; yuzu and honey espresso tonics) and pairs specialty coffee with a robust food menu; the Golden Gate Avenue location — opening July 17 at 525 Golden Gate Avenue — will add items exclusive to that shop like breakfast burritos stuffed with mole-cooked refried beans and hashbrowns, to-go sandwiches, cold sesame noodles, and Japanese egg sandos. I note SPRO’s approach includes tangy shots of espresso served with flavor-profile–matched fruit such as blueberries, Ritual Chocolate served alongside the Cold Fashioned cold-brew mocktail, and new specialty riffs from Lee using ingredients like seabuckthorn, Moroccan saffron, pink peppercorn, and sea salt. Starting as a tiny red cart at SPARK Social in 2017 and expanding to a well-lit corner cafe on Church Street in 2021, the owners have tapped Tinkering Monkey for design, hope to roast their own coffee someday, currently work with roasters including Black & White Coffee Roasters, and even envision making ice cream in the Public Utilities building’s basement prep area." - Paolo Bicchieri