Bissap Baobab to close Mission Street location and search for another spot

""Let us be clear: Baobab is NOT done. We are actively looking for a new home. The Baobab bends, but it never breaks," wrote owner Marco Senghor in the Instagram post, adding that closing the Mission Street location has been an incredibly emotional decision."

""Sustaining such a large space has become too difficult in these times," wrote Senghor."

"A registered legacy business that started in the 1990s from a small catering kitchen on 19th Street, Bissap Baobab has faced battle after battle in the past decade while offering West African dishes and dance performances to a diverse crowd. The Bissap Baobab on 19th Street was briefly sold during Senghor's legal battle with the federal government in 2018 and 2019, when he avoided a 10-year federal prison sentence for obtaining citizenship through a fraudulent marriage. He ultimately received one year of probation and a $1,000 fine."

Bissap Baobab's Mission and 18th streets location will close on Dec. 28. Owner Marco Senghor stated the restaurant is not finished and that the team is actively looking for a new home, but sustaining such a large space became too difficult. The owners invited the community to a farewell party on Dec. 20 and will host Baobab Flying Night Saturdays at Muddy Waters Coffee & Lounge. The business began in the 1990s as a small catering kitchen on 19th Street and later reopened at 2243 Mission St. in 2022. Senghor faced a legal battle in 2018–19 and received probation and a fine. The venue received noise complaints despite spending $80,000 on soundproofing.

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