By: Kyrie Sismaet By: Kyrie Sismaet | February 27, 2023 | Food & Drink, People, Style & Beauty, Feature, Restaurants, Wine and Spirits, City Life, Culture, Fashion, Shopping, Beauty, Women of Influence Latest, Local, List - Restaurants, List - Shopping,
March is Women's History Month, and this 2023's theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” Within San Francisco, there are several distinguished women who powerfully tell their and the city's stories through their local businesses who are definitely worth uplifting beyond just the month of March.
Here is a diverse list of a few magnificent women owned-and-operated restaurants, bars, clothing stores, and more to know in San Francisco that are all lovingly led by inspiring trailblazers.
See also: SF Bay Area Black-Owned Businesses To Know And Support
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3127 Fillmore St / (415) 440-0460 / Website
Atelier Crenn is a stunning three-Michelin star restaurant precisely founded and led by creative culinary superstar Dominique Crenn, the first-and-only female chef to receive such immaculate prestige. Her artistic escape in Cow Hollow is luxurious, upscale, but cleanly grounded in a minimalist love for Californian nature, flavors, and culture. With Crenn's landmark recently redesigned to fully reflect her deep personal connection with the golden state, this unbeatable restaurant is authentically SF Bay Area as it is a shining piece of Chef Crenn's heart.
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1275 Minnesota St / (415) 580-7662 / Website
Besharam is the incredibly delicious and heartwarming creation of Chef Heena Patel, who came from the La Cocina Incubation Program. Her vibrant Dogpatch venue features colorful masterpieces, a refined, yet casual atmosphere, and flawless cooking that is warm, familiar, and absolutely comforting. Feel right at home and taken care of while being dazzled by her inventive upgrades to her Indian comfort classics.
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101 Hyde St / (800) 408-1803 / Website
Also from the La Cocina Incubator Program is Chef Tiffany Carter's Boug Cali, a Chase Center favorite for traditional Cajun and Creole cooking, all with a personal and modern Californian twist. Equally local as it is divinely southern, Boug Cali is a rich treat that truly showcases Chef Carter's bold ingenuity, inspiring perseverence, and love for her craft.
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1168 Folsom St / (415) 913-7256 / Website
DECANTsf is a bright and sleek wine bar and shop founded by Cara Patricia and Simi Grewal, two highly-skilled expert sommeliers that also help to showcase other female winemakers and specialists through their curated selections and creative events. Definitely do not hesitate to inquire on their help to help you find your perfect wine as you also snack and participate in their enjoyable and edifyinh activities like The Science of Winemaking and live music with Tarot readings.
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2700 16th St / Website
Jolene's is one of San Francisco's best queer bars, founded by Jolene Linsangan. This is the perfect choice for delicious brunch, great drinks, and a guaranteed electrifying night out. With a filled calendar boasting a diverse range of playful events like Pool Tournaments + Karoke, the beloved women-centric UHAUL SF, and Throwback Hip Hop, this an inclusive and judgment-free destination that has something for everyone to party as their true selves.
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3901 18th St / (415) 757-0409 / Website
Kokak Chocolates is the irresistible creation of brillant master chocolatier Carol Gancia, who takes inspiration from her flavorful Filipino roots to inspire her inventive sweet treats, like her widely-beloved dark chocolate Mango Lemongrass, Kalamansi, and Macadamia Praline. With a wide array of limited-time holiday collections and special collaborations with other small businesses, this is the ultimate chocolate destination in the Castro that positively promotes culture, queerness, and local community.
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3376 18th St / Website
Botanically-inspired and precisely Parisian, Michelle Hernández elevates pastries to an entirely new level with her Le Dix Sept Pâtisserie. Her attention to detail and prowess in both careful baking and decorating truly shine in her vibrantly elegant creations, which will truly captivate and draw you in once you see her delightfully cute Mission storefront, a landmark in the neighborhood for over a decade since 2011.
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1 Ferry Building, #19 / (510) 852-9390 / Website
The Ferry Building Marketplace is a treasured bazaar of diverse companies that eclectically acts as a microcosm of the flavors and personalities of San Francisco. The newly-opened Reem's within it by award-winning chef and activist Reem Assil is a perfect example of the city's ingenuity, hospitality, and attention towards social justice. Her new stall boasts authentic Arab pastries and breads, freshly baked and perfect for enjoying by the water.
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451 9th St / (415) 757-0519 / Website
Charming and cutting-edge, Telescope Coffee by Jenny Ngo delivers culturally-inspired pastries and drinks like you've never had before. By also sourcing their beans from another woman-and-POC run local company, Jenny Huynh's Cosmic Dust Coffee in San Jose, Ngo is able to craft lusciously exclusive, high-quality drinks like the Honeycomb Latte and Rose Latte, which all pair perfectly with their fresh-made Ube Crinkle Cookies and Brioche Buns for a guaranteed pleasant morning in SoMa.
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1 Ferry Building / (415) 263-8910 / Website
Also in the Ferry Building, a sophisticated and all-natural beauty choice is Benedetta by Julia Faller. Her Sonoma-based skincare is 100% botanical and organic, forged from her prior days as a licensed esthetician and clinician where she was inspired to create a skincare company with devoted to being more ethical and harm-free. Today, Benedetta is a chic and gorgeous stall with outstandingly friendly service to help you find the right products to use guilt-free.
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225 Bush St, 20th floor / Website
Benefit Cosmetics was founded right in the Mission by twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford in 1976, and today the internationally-acclaimed makeup brand is run by their own daughters and nieces! This is truly a family affair takes devoted effort into ensuring all of their customers feel valued, beautiful, and confident through their wide range of organic products and careful services. You can genuinely sense their commitment to care in all of their SF locations, and walk out feeling like the celebrities who personally use Benefit do as well, especially with all of their ever-expanding products.
Aside from their recent Fluff Up Brow Wax, their dermatologist-tested & clinically proven PORE Care is the newest to indulge your skin in, available from $29-$44 as mineral-rich kaolin clay masks, a lemony AHA + PHA toning foam with yuzu extract, cleansers, a lightweight gel-cream moisturizer, and a PORE tool!
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1700 Center St, Oakland / Website
Over in West Oakland, Kalkidan Gebreyohannes and J’Maica Roxanne radiantly run Blk Girls Green House, a lush plant shop that also works to support the art and businesses of fellow local Black creators. Their 1,500-square-foot space is packed with unique decor, strong houseplants, and features a breezy open-air layout that feels like you've escaped into the trendiest oasis.
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Lea Stafford is the go-to woman for all things interior design and party planning. Having nearly two decades of skillful hospitality and event coordination, Lea's professional service and passionate perspective for style are unmatched, as evident in her glorious portfolio of moments magical, elegant, and mindfully customized with personality.
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301 Valencia St / (415) 400-4275 / Website
The bustling Valencia Street is where you can find Le Point, Pauline Montupet's sleek and snug boutique. Minimal, clean, and fresh are what is evoked from her airy store, with the apparel all capturing the current international design zeitgeists while similarly being sharp, simple, and chic. Since Montupet was a teenager she has worked within the fashion industry, with her store displaying her prowess and setting trends for the rest of San Francisco's style.
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828 Innes Ave / (415) 499-2328 / Website
The Posh Green Cannabis Boutique was founded by SF native Reese Benton in 2016, and since then it has received immediate success and prestige as the “Nordstrom of cannabis,” for her premium selections and lavish retail atmosphere. As the first Equity Retail Cannabis Dispensary, The Posh Green Collective goes well beyond just their boutique, actively working to be a community resource for education, cannabis equity, and trusted solidarity.
“I am a woman / Phenomenally / Phenomenal woman / That’s me.” -Maya Angelou.
See also: 5 Cute And Beautiful Small Business Latinx Boutiques
Photography by: Courtesy of Galina Pilina/Getty Images