"I know it sounds corny to say, but it's really built by customers. He wouldn't have it any other way. Although he'd like to run the place with a degree of efficiency, he recognizes that moments like those are what make his cafe special among the Richmond's many, many coffee shops."
"Originally from Egypt, Riad came to San Francisco in the 1980s and found work as a barista at the North Beach institution Caffe Trieste, which had been a stalwart of a certain fad called 'espresso' since 1956 and was still one of the only places in San Francisco that offered this relative oddity."
Ahmed Riad, owner of Simple Pleasures cafe in San Francisco's Outer Richmond neighborhood since 1994, values the social atmosphere his establishment creates over rigid efficiency. Initially appearing stern when customers held up the line, Riad recognizes that such moments reflect the welcoming nature that distinguishes his cafe from competitors. Originally from Egypt, Riad arrived in San Francisco during the 1980s and worked as a barista at the historic Caffe Trieste in North Beach, where he trained under Giovanni 'Papa Gianni' Giotta. He credits his customers with building Simple Pleasures' identity and character, viewing their presence and interactions as essential to the cafe's success and appeal.
Read at Mission Local
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]