SF chef finds success as "Vacant to Vibrant" program revitalizes downtown
SAN FRANCISCO – In the heart of Four Embarcadero Center, Chef Nafy Flatley is living her dream at Teranga, an African restaurant that has found success through the city's "Vacant to Vibrant" program.
The program, a collaboration between the City's Office of Economic Workforce and Development (OEWD) and local nonprofit SF New Deal, is celebrating success as lease extensions are granted to eight out of the nine inaugural pop-up storefronts after a promising three-month pilot term.
A second cohort is set to be selected and announced in the coming months.
Flatley expressed her gratitude for being part of the program, emphasizing the opportunity it provides to showcase her culture and engage with customers beyond traditional catering.
"People are starting to warm up to us because this place was closed for a very, very long time," she shared. "Now that they see that there's life in here, they hear music, they see lights in here, and they're really curious about what's in here."
Nafy decided to apply for the program last April, following the closure of her restaurant located at La Cocina Municipal Market in the Tenderloin.
The Vacant to Vibrant initiative covers utility costs and rent, enabling entrepreneurs like Nafy to revitalize dormant spaces and breathe life into their businesses.
"The city, the program, has paid utilities to the property owners, so we're not paying rent, we're not paying utilities. All we need to do is reactivate the place, see what suits our business plan, and make things work for us," Nafy explained.
As the program continues to accept applications for a second round of businesses, Nafy anticipates the positive impact it will have during the early spring months, drawing more people out to experience diverse culinary offerings.
"I wanna see how it's gonna work during the early spring because you can see more people coming. It's not going to be so cold, less rain, people would wanna go out a little more to eat," she added.
The Vacant to Vibrant program aligns with the city's goal to reactivate downtown areas through three-month pop-ups that can be extended for an additional three months.
Chef Nafy's Teranga has become a symbol of success under this initiative, bringing the Teranga way of life to San Francisco one SF-Senegalese meal at a time.