Grand Coffee Too
Coffee shop · Mission ·
Art gallery cafe offering unique heritage-inspired drinks
Art gallery cafe offering unique heritage-inspired drinks
"In the Mission District I learned that Nabeel Silmi, founder and co-owner of Grand Coffee, has made coffee central to Ramadan: he put together an $80 Ramadan gift box with four bags—one for each week of the fast—including three single-origin coffees and the small roaster’s La Llave blend (a portion of that roast’s sales goes to the Middle East Children’s Alliance). He suggests working through the bags with friends and family or before sunrise to get through the fast, noting the first three days are hard because of caffeine withdrawal and that fasting gets progressively tougher as days lengthen and clocks spring forward. The box is sold at the Grand Coffee Too location (2544 Mission Street) and online with shipping across the U.S. and Canada. Silmi, who broke fasts in Palestine with a date, a glass of milk, and a cup of coffee, has talked about reopening the shop at 8:30 or 9 p.m. for a Ramadan pop-up and pairing the coffee with snacks; Grand Coffee opened July 1, 2010 and is credited with bringing third-wave coffee into the Mission." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Designed to facilitate meaningful conversation over craft coffee, this new venture from Nabeel Silmi, Kimberly Kim, and Adrian Lopez weaves the owners’ cultures into both the space and the menu while supporting other coffee entrepreneurs and nonprofits. Signature drinks include a misugaru — a fermented blend of ginger, jujube, and cinnamon that nods to Korean heritage — and a “mexigaru” that incorporates pepitas and chocolate in tribute to Mexican roots. The team has supplied free beans to Deathless Coffee in its pop-up days, hosts latte art throwdowns, donates $1 from every bag of La Llave coffee to the Middle East Children’s Alliance, and serves medium- and light-roast coffees with a recurring milk-chocolate note." - Eater Staff
"The airy, enormous space next to the Alamo Drafthouse feels buzzy already: the three co-owners are pouring pineapple tea and Chemex-brewed Guatemalan single-origin, and they trade politics while preparing the cafe for customers." - Paolo Bicchieri
"After much delay and hype, the new Mission District coffee shop run by Kimberly Kim, Adrian Lopez, and Nabeel Silmi opened at 2544 Mission Street on Thursday, June 16; the owners insist it’s for specialty coffee fans and “anyone who just wants to come and hang out.” Lopez says it’s a huge relief after a long wait caused by COVID, permitting, and bureaucracy, and the trio hope to showcase their growing brand with this biggest expansion yet. The space is intended to be bright, vibrant, welcoming and—quoting Lopez—“quirky.” A few pieces are still being finished: city planners approved the location on June 15, outdoor seating is pending, and the team hopes to roll out specialty drinks beyond espresso soon. For now there are six stools inside to spin on while working through a pastry, and the shop will be open seven days a week (7 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays; 8 a.m.–6 p.m. weekends). An opening party is in the works and the owners point to the original Grand Coffee (founded by Nabeel Silmi in 2010) as the model for an inviting cafe; the company has since gained a loyal following, partnered with local restaurants including Grove SF, and launched a delivery service." - Paolo Bicchieri
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