Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III has, at long last, taken his coffee brand BIGFACE to his adopted home of San Francisco. The temporary residency runs from Thursday, July 10, through Sunday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On opening day, the sun was shining, and expectations could not have been higher. How’s the coffee? Would you get one of the T-shirts? Will Butler be there, working the bar like a common barista?
From the jump: Jimmy Butler III was not on-site at BIGFACE’s opening, sorry to say. Whether or not he pulls any shots by the end of this installation is anyone’s guess; with loads of these hype pop-ups, the details are intentionally scarce. This scene report should alleviate a bit of the mystery. Here’s what to know before pulling up to BIGFACE on 22nd Street in the Mission.
The exterior of Lucca in San Francisco, with a line of people waiting to try coffee from Bigface.
Paolo Bicchieri
Eater SF arrived on the scene before opening at 9 a.m. A line crawled around the corner, onto San Jose Avenue. Clocking in at about 8:50 a.m. (sans coffee!), the wait took about 30 minutes. The line was fast moving, though, all things considered; once inside the BIGFACE cafe, there didn’t seem to be any time limit on how long one could mill about, order coffee, and buy merch.
A worker for the pop-up brought three flavors of iced BIGFACE coffee in a grocery basket to attendees. For free! But this was opening day — a smart guest should anticipate a much shorter wait on weekdays going forward, and big, explosive lines on upcoming sunny Saturdays and Sundays.
The interior of Bigface in San Francisco, with customers ordering coffee.
Paolo Bicchieri
Imagine all the minimalism and preciousness of a third-wave specialty cafe. Now, picture the exact opposite. From the line through to the La Marzoco, vibes at BIGFACE skew much more toward hype culture and a meet and greet at ComicCon. Fans showed up in prior BIGFACE drop gear, most likely from Miami or San Diego.
The team from San Francisco’s own Fellow Coffee came as a group; a born-and-raised San Franciscan who considers himself a cigar and coffee connoisseur said he’s been looking for good coffee in the Mission since Philz closed. There were platoons of influencers making content.
Once inside, the ambiance is sort of Nintendo store-ish. Phones are out left and right, blending in amongst the pop-up’s chrome and red color scheme. Interestingly, much respect is paid to former tenant Lucca Ravioli. Shirts (which run $75) are scribed in Italian, with small riffs on the Golden Gate Bridge on the chest. The staff are in swag, and attendees are keyed up and chipper. There’s a bar against the window and four or so tables. Still, the vibe doesn’t seem to be to hang out for long — more of a grab and go energy, though that could slow down past opening day.
A guy behind the bar.
Paolo Bicchieri
BIGFACE is not the cost-conscious consumer’s cafe. It’s $100 for a coffee flight, like at other BIGFACEs of yore. It’s $10 for a pour-over, though the pour-over “wasn’t working” an hour into the first day of service. (An $8 cold brew should do the trick.) It’s $40 for a box of BIGFACE’s Rwanda washed filter coffee, with “ciao” splayed across the front of the futuristic parcel-looking box. That said, Black Jet Bakery was tapped to provide croissants and other pastries. Nodding to Lucca Ravioli again, there are, inexplicably, boxes of spaghetti, Graza bottles of olive oil branded with BIGFACE smiles, jars of marinara sauce, you get the idea. Though the pour-over cannot be reviewed, the team seemed quick-working and friendly, and the cold brew had a hint of sweetness in a drink infamously made dark and fudgy. A win!
The exterior of the former Lucca building in San Francisco, where two men are adding a sign that reads “Ciao, BIGFACE” in San Francisco.
A billboard promoting the BIGFACE installation unfurled in real time throughout the morning.
Paolo Bicchieri
The Verdict
BIGFACE is rad! BIGFACE is cool. BIGFACE is the future of coffee — celebrity partnerships taken to a niche, logical extreme. That is to say that, rather than an Emma Chamberlain-ish spin where the coffee can feel like an arm of a larger business program, Butler’s coffee is well-roasted, well-made, and, well, expensive. For many new Mission dwellers, this price point won’t be an issue. Come by for a chance to be in a random influencer’s video and to drink excellent coffee.
BIGFACE (1100 Valencia Street) runs Thursday, July 10, through Sunday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.