Mayor Lee Celebrates Grand Opening of Radio Africa & Kitchen in Bayview
Influx of Successful Entrepreneurs to Third Street, Offers Assistance to Improve Economic Revitalization
3/5/12—Mayor Edwin M. Lee today joined District 10 Supervisor Malia Cohen and neighborhood leaders to celebrate the opening of Radio Africa and Kitchen at the corner of Third and Oakdale in the heart of Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood. The new restaurant at 4800 Third Street is the result of a collaborative effort among community-based organizations and multiple City agencies to attract successful entrepreneurs to the Bayview. Radio Africa joins Limon Rotisserie and Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Grocery in a growing momentum around business development on Third Street.
“I am thrilled to welcome Radio Africa and Kitchen owner Eskender Aseged to the Bayview,” said Mayor Lee. “Eskender is joining fellow entrepreneurs here on Third Street who are revitalizing this important corridor by filling vacancies and bringing much needed goods and services to the neighborhood. Our efforts to create jobs in the Bayview community are moving forward, and I look forward to our continued work here with the community.”
“Radio Africa and Kitchen is the perfect fit for Bayview; this community has waited for years for more sit-down restaurants offering healthy unique food,” said Supervisor Cohen. “Eskender’s commitment to this community is evident through the start of the community garden across the street and his pledge to hire local youth. I have no doubt that Radio Africa Kitchen will be a tremendous success and asset to the neighborhood.”
Radio Africa and Kitchen is on the ground floor of a mixed-use affordable condominium complex built by San Francisco Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC) with substantial assistance from the City and the Redevelopment Agency. The restaurant will seat 60 and will hire a staff of 15 employees. The food, inspired by Aseged’s North African background, is sustainable, healthy and unique. Aseged was one of the original practitioners of the “nomadic kitchen” operating model. When he began seeking a permanent location, City and Redevelopment staff along with SFHDC convinced him to make his home at Third and Oakdale and put together a substantial financial package to assist him in opening his small business.
“It is great to finally reach this day, and to do it with such open arms from the City and the Bayview community,” said Aseged. “I look forward to working with all of you to make Third Street a thriving business corridor, and I am proud to be a part of this community.”
It is a priority of the City to continue to support the efforts to brand and market the area, increase positive community events, and enhance safety through the City’s Community Safety Ambassadors.
Mayor Lee also announced that the Office of Economic and Workforce Development will offer a business attraction initiative to provide pro bono storefront cleaning and leasing assistance to property owners in Bayview. Businesses also have access to other financial incentives such as the SF Shines storefront improvement program and the SF Revolving Loan Fund. Program partners are currently assisting four property owners, and will continue to target economic revitalization activities around Third and Oakdale.
SF Shines, the storefront improvement program, will have assisted more than 25 new and long-time business owners on Third Street with façade and tenant improvements by the end of 2012. Although the bulk of its funding was from Redevelopment, Mayor Lee pledged to continue this and other Third Street programs through his forthcoming Invest in Neighborhoods strategy.
3/5/12—Mayor Edwin M. Lee today joined District 10 Supervisor Malia Cohen and neighborhood leaders to celebrate the opening of Radio Africa and Kitchen at the corner of Third and Oakdale in the heart of Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood. The new restaurant at 4800 Third Street is the result of a collaborative effort among community-based organizations and multiple City agencies to attract successful entrepreneurs to the Bayview. Radio Africa joins Limon Rotisserie and Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Grocery in a growing momentum around business development on Third Street.
“I am thrilled to welcome Radio Africa and Kitchen owner Eskender Aseged to the Bayview,” said Mayor Lee. “Eskender is joining fellow entrepreneurs here on Third Street who are revitalizing this important corridor by filling vacancies and bringing much needed goods and services to the neighborhood. Our efforts to create jobs in the Bayview community are moving forward, and I look forward to our continued work here with the community.”
“Radio Africa and Kitchen is the perfect fit for Bayview; this community has waited for years for more sit-down restaurants offering healthy unique food,” said Supervisor Cohen. “Eskender’s commitment to this community is evident through the start of the community garden across the street and his pledge to hire local youth. I have no doubt that Radio Africa Kitchen will be a tremendous success and asset to the neighborhood.”
Radio Africa and Kitchen is on the ground floor of a mixed-use affordable condominium complex built by San Francisco Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC) with substantial assistance from the City and the Redevelopment Agency. The restaurant will seat 60 and will hire a staff of 15 employees. The food, inspired by Aseged’s North African background, is sustainable, healthy and unique. Aseged was one of the original practitioners of the “nomadic kitchen” operating model. When he began seeking a permanent location, City and Redevelopment staff along with SFHDC convinced him to make his home at Third and Oakdale and put together a substantial financial package to assist him in opening his small business.
“It is great to finally reach this day, and to do it with such open arms from the City and the Bayview community,” said Aseged. “I look forward to working with all of you to make Third Street a thriving business corridor, and I am proud to be a part of this community.”
It is a priority of the City to continue to support the efforts to brand and market the area, increase positive community events, and enhance safety through the City’s Community Safety Ambassadors.
Mayor Lee also announced that the Office of Economic and Workforce Development will offer a business attraction initiative to provide pro bono storefront cleaning and leasing assistance to property owners in Bayview. Businesses also have access to other financial incentives such as the SF Shines storefront improvement program and the SF Revolving Loan Fund. Program partners are currently assisting four property owners, and will continue to target economic revitalization activities around Third and Oakdale.
SF Shines, the storefront improvement program, will have assisted more than 25 new and long-time business owners on Third Street with façade and tenant improvements by the end of 2012. Although the bulk of its funding was from Redevelopment, Mayor Lee pledged to continue this and other Third Street programs through his forthcoming Invest in Neighborhoods strategy.