Impact
SF Public Market is being designed to generate lasting economic, social and civic value for San Francisco — strengthening independent businesses, creating jobs, expanding opportunity, and giving people from across the city a place to come together.
SF Public Market exists to make San Francisco stronger.
SF Public Market will create opportunities for local merchants, food makers, fishermen, farmers, chefs and entrepreneurs to reach customers and build sustainable businesses. Through the envisioned Innovation Kitchen and entrepreneurship platform, emerging businesses will have opportunities to test concepts, develop their capabilities and potentially progress from incubation to permanent market participation.
SPM will be a place where people don't simply find jobs — they can build careers. Our workforce and hospitality initiatives are envisioned to connect San Franciscans with training, employment and advancement opportunities across food, hospitality, retail, events, market operations and related industries.
SF Public Market will celebrate San Francisco's maritime heritage while helping strengthen its future. We envision creating direct connections between fishermen, seafood businesses and the public — introducing new generations to San Francisco's maritime traditions. The working waterfront should remain something people can see, experience and support.
The Market will prioritize distinctive independent businesses that contribute to the character of San Francisco and Northern California. By creating shared infrastructure, concentrated customer demand, collaborative marketing and business-support resources, SPM can provide independent merchants with advantages that are difficult to create individually.
SPM will use food, public space, cultural programming and community events to create a place where people from different neighborhoods, generations, cultures and backgrounds naturally encounter one another. You shouldn't have to buy something to belong here.
SPM will seek to lower barriers to participation through entrepreneurship support, shared resources, transparent merchant-selection principles, workforce pathways and accessible public programming. Our goal is to broaden who can participate in — and benefit from — the economic opportunities the Market creates.
A market built for the next century must operate responsibly. SPM will incorporate sustainability into food sourcing, waste reduction, energy and water use, transportation and the stewardship of San Francisco's waterfront — demonstrating how a major public marketplace can combine economic vitality with environmental responsibility.
Measuring What Matters
We intend to measure our impact rather than simply describe it. As SF Public Market develops, we will establish measurable goals around businesses supported, entrepreneurs launched, jobs created, workforce outcomes, local purchasing, resident participation, public programming, working-waterfront activity, accessibility, waste reduction and financial sustainability.
Generational Impact
Ultimately, the most important measure of SF Public Market will not be what happens in its first year. It will be what happens over decades.
We are building SF Public Market with a 100-year horizon — with the ambition to create an institution that contributes to San Francisco long after its founders are gone.
How many businesses began here?
How many careers were launched here?
How many local traditions were preserved?
How many people discovered San Francisco here?
How many friendships, ideas and opportunities began because people came together here?
Food • Culture • Community • Opportunity