SPRO Coffee Opens Sixth Location Downtown as City Touts Permit Times Cut by 60%

Mayor Daniel Lurie used the ribbon-cutting at SPRO Coffee Lab's newest and largest cafe to showcase the Storefront Opportunity Grant program and permitting reforms he says are filling vacant storefronts across eight San Francisco neighborhoods. The press conference, held Aug. 12 at the downtown location, doubled as a progress report: permits that once took seven months are now clearing in about three weeks.

• Permit wait times slashed: Fire permits alone are down up to 60%, and 86% of the city's most challenging projects now approved within 30 days

• SPRO Coffee Lab opens sixth location in downtown San Francisco, backed by a Storefront Opportunity Grant

• Homegrown businesses replacing departed chains, with city officials crediting grant and permitting infrastructure

• District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey calls city government coordination "unlike I have ever seen" in 20-plus years

Faster Permits, Grant Dollars, and a 13-Year Dream

Mayor Daniel Lurie stood inside SPRO Coffee Lab's new downtown space — the local chain's largest — to frame the opening as proof that his administration's twin strategy of grant funding and permitting overhaul is working.

Why it matters: San Francisco's post-pandemic downtown recovery has hinged on whether small, independent businesses can fill the storefronts left behind by departing national chains. The Storefront Opportunity Grant program, paired with the city's PermitSF reforms, is the Lurie administration's primary answer.

Where things stand: Lurie cited concrete numbers: 86% of the city's most challenging permit projects were approved within 30 days, up nearly 10 percentage points from the prior year. Fire permit wait times dropped by up to 60%.

"Rich told our team that the permits that would have normally taken seven months to get approved took just about three weeks. That is how government is supposed to work for our residents," said Mayor Daniel Lurie. He added: "We are building a city hall that is a partner to small businesses like SPRO. Because when we make it easier for small businesses to thrive, we create a more vibrant downtown and a stronger future for our city."

Rich Lee, co-founder and CEO of SPRO Coffee Lab, said the cafe concept had been in the works for over a decade. "I've had this cafe drawing drawn up 13 years ago and I believe this is the best time to build a business in San Francisco. Permits are a lot easier. I got city grants," Lee said. He now operates six locations total, and credited support from the Office of Small Business, SF New Deal, and other city departments.

Katy Tang, Director of the Office of Small Business, highlighted a broader trend. "It's so great to see San Francisco homegrown businesses taking over spaces that were previously occupied by other larger chains that are no longer here," Tang said. She acknowledged colleagues Josiel, Jess, and Guillaume for administering the grant program citywide, and pointed to other businesses like Wildfox as examples of entrepreneurs inspired by the city's improved support infrastructure.

'Coffee Square': Dorsey Welcomes SPRO to District 6

District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey welcomed SPRO to his district, noting the cafe sits near the historic Folger building and a few blocks from the Hills Brothers building — landmarks of San Francisco's coffee heritage. Dorsey dubbed the area "Coffee Square."

But Dorsey reserved his strongest remarks for the political moment. "I mostly just want to express my gratitude how much it means that we have a city government that is rowing in the same direction, unlike I have ever seen in my career that goes back 20-something years in city government," he said, praising coordination between the mayor, the Board of Supervisors under President Rafael Mandelman, and the Office of Small Business.

He also urged San Franciscans to remember who stayed. "After a difficult time during COVID in the last several years when we saw some businesses giving up on us, I want to all remember the businesses that doubled down and placed a bet on San Francisco," Supervisor Dorsey said. "As we're coming back, let's make sure that we're supporting the businesses that supported San Francisco."

What's next: The Storefront Opportunity Grant program continues to operate across eight San Francisco neighborhoods, and PermitSF reforms remain in effect citywide. Entrepreneurs and prospective small business owners can apply through the Office of Small Business and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.