Dave Eggers Launches Artistic Cafe at San Francisco’s Pier 29

BREAKING NEWS: Renowned author Dave Eggers has just announced an exciting new café at Pier 29 within the innovative Art + Water project, set to redefine the culinary scene in San Francisco. This artistic café is poised to open in late summer or fall 2026, transforming the Embarcadero into a vibrant hub for artists and coffee lovers alike.

Eggers, a key figure in San Francisco’s literary community, is collaborating with Mokhtar Alkhanshali, founder of the acclaimed Mohka House in Oakland. This partnership aims to create a unique space that echoes the historic coffeehouses of Sana’a, Cairo, and Boston, fostering revolutionary ideas and community dialogue. Alkhanshali stated, “[Eggers] noticed there was no coffee in that entire area,” highlighting a gap that this project intends to fill.

The café will not be your typical coffee stop; it is envisioned as a sanctuary filled with “rugs, pillows, tapestries, silver, copper, and gold,” according to Eggers. This immersive environment aims to invite patrons to luxuriate and engage in meaningful conversations, elevating the coffee experience to new heights.

The Art + Water initiative will cover an impressive 70,000 square feet and provide free studio space to 10 established artists in exchange for their mentorship to 20 emerging artists. This approach seeks to deviate from conventional art school models, focusing on apprenticeship traditions that allow learning without the burden of debt. The program will kick off with a showcase featuring the work of Boots Riley, an Oakland musician and filmmaker.

Moreover, the partnership with the Community Arts Stabilization Trust has secured a significant 30,000 square feet for the project, making it a vital space for visual artists like Paul Madonna and Taraneh Hemani, as well as a “satellite” gallery for those priced out of other locations.

Applications for the nonprofit’s inaugural fellowship will soon be made available through Art + Water’s social media channels, offering free classes and gallery exhibitions that promise to enrich the local community.

As the Art + Water project gears up for its grand opening, the artistic and culinary communities are abuzz with anticipation. This café is not just about coffee; it represents a new chapter for cultural engagement in San Francisco. Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking venture!