Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1194330
78 SPECIALTY FOOD SPECIALTYFOOD.COM At Daily Driver, morning patrons can watch a river of just-baked bagels flow down a stainless- steel chute to the counter display. A viewing window allows customers to peer into the mini- creamery and observe cheesemaker Hadley Kreitz hand-batting butter. Twice a week, wielding two small ridged paddles, she shapes a craggy mountain of Jersey-cream butter into neat 1-pound slabs. Modern Factory Look Kreitz's husband, David, designed and built the 130-seat space and wood-fired ovens and, not least, perfected the bagel recipe. An industrial designer, David settled on a modern factory aesthetic with concrete floors, stainless steel-clad ovens, and a large U-shaped counter draped in geometric blue and white tiles. A small retail nook showcases local products such as goat's milk soap, and a packaging room provides space for handling wholesale orders. A wrap-around mezzanine offers table and counter seating with views of the action below, plus lounge-like areas meant to encourage guests to settle in. The Kreitzs are partners in Daily Driver as is chef Martin Siggins, who has designed a freewheeling menu only loosely inspired by T he wood-fired bagels may have generated the crowds initially, but Daily Driver's owners have a vision that goes well beyond bread. Opened in mid-2019 in San Francisco's uber- trendy Dogpatch neighborhood, the shop aims to be a sort of village green, with an on-premise coffee roaster, lounge areas, and pop-up events like board game nights with local craft beer. "We like when people hang out here all day," says part-owner Tamara Hicks. The 7,000-square-foot enterprise even houses its own petite creamery, turning out cultured butter, cream cheese, quark, and ghee. For Hicks and husband David Jablons, Daily Driver represents a deeper dive into the cheese business. The couple also owns the highly regarded Tomales Farmstead Creamery in nearby Marin County, a producer of fresh and aged sheep and goat cheeses. STORE TOUR Daily Driver 2535 Third Street San Francisco As a psychologist, Hicks can't help noticing that when customers reminisce about bagels, it's rarely just about the bagel. It's about trips to grandma's house or Sunday family breakfasts. PHOTOS: FRANKIE FRANKENY