The Red Tail is preparing to open at 992 Market St., where the staff will serve wine and craft beer.Mario Cortez / The Chronicle
Can eclectic wines and craft beers revive activity in a languishing stretch of San Francisco’s Mid-Market corridor? The team behind an expansion of a popular Sunset District hangout thinks so.
Red Tail wine bar is gearing up to open its second location at 992 Market St., just a block from the Warfield Theatre, in mid- to late August. About 45 seated customers will be able to sip drinks in the 950-square-foot space, which features floor-to-ceiling windows and a touch of exposed concrete. It will add to a continuing bar boom in downtown San Francisco, along with other hot spots like the Felix, the Dawn Club and Harlequin.
Wes Wakeford, one of the three partners behind Red Tail, is excited to be hitting the ground running three years after opening his first location in downtown’s Sunset. The downtown space was previously home to wine bar Waystone and most recently AI-powered smoothie shop Better Blends, which closed last fall after just a few months in business.
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The original Red Tail, at 545 Irving St., won over the neighborhood with a casual approach to wine and craft beer, plus multiple screens for sports. Wakeford, a former attorney, was looking for a second career when he opened it with business partner Ben Sapone. Sapone, another ex-attorney, had opened the Flying Pig in the Mission District a decade earlier. Conner Frederick joined them as a partner.
The Mid-Market area has suffered in recent years from vacant storefronts and work-from-home policies that have drawn people away from nearby offices. But Wakeford is optimistic, noting recent activity like the new IKEA and the celebrated Saluhall food hall across the street. “We think the area has hit rock bottom and is ready to go up from here,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for us to get in on the ground floor.”
The owners of Red Tail are optimistic about the future of the city centre.
Mario Cortez / The ChronicleLike the original location, the new Red Tail will feature beers from the team’s favorite Bay Area breweries. Expect cans and drafts from an eight-tap system stocked with lagers, IPAs, and sours from the likes of Original Pattern, Humble Sea, and Cellarmaker. Ciders will also be on tap.
Wines by the glass have been selected with affordability in mind, with many priced around $13. Frederick, a former beer and wine salesman who also worked at Sapone’s Flying Pig, said some of the more unique offerings will include Pinot Noir from Slovenia.
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There won’t be a specific focus on low-intervention, biodynamic or natural wines, although there will be some wines available that are produced using these practices. “A lot of really good wine just happens,” Frederick said. “The less you add and do, the more the terroir and the grape can really speak.”
Steve Gibson, executive director of the Mid-Market Foundation, a nonprofit business improvement and promotion organization, is looking forward to the bar serving its first drinks. “Every good neighborhood needs a good community bar, and we don’t have that in Mid-Market,” he said.
Gibson and his team have been busy filling vacancies in the surrounding stretch of Market Street between Sixth and Seventh streets. He reached out to the Red Tail team, along with other bar owners, to gauge interest in the location. Since their initial conversations, Gibson’s team has helped Red Tail and other potential tenants navigate city permitting and access financing options to make it as easy as possible for them to open their doors.
Like the Red Tail partners, Gibson feels the area is ready to move forward and move beyond the talk of San Francisco’s self-perpetuating “doom loop” narrative. He believes the businesses that will thrive in Mid-Market will be those that capitalize on current vacancy levels as momentum shifts upward.
To help potential vendors see more of the area, the Mid-Market Foundation plans to invite artists, performers and vendors to 900 Market Street during its First Thursdays celebration in September. This monthly festival is designed to draw people downtown and runs concurrently with another festival on Second Street.
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The previous tenants kept the interior in good condition, according to the Red Tail team. They have done some minor work, such as installing additional refrigerators and flat screens, and are considering applying for a permit for outdoor seating.
The team hopes their new location will attract more local residents as the block fills with new businesses.
“The backbone of our business is our loyal, repeat customers. We want to provide a comfortable place to watch the Niners, the Giants and the Warriors,” Wakeford said.
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The Red Tail. Opening in August. 4-11 p.m., Wed-Sat. 992 Market St., San Francisco. redtailsf.com
Contact Mario Cortez: [email protected]
