The team behind a Michelin-recognized San Francisco Italian destination is taking over a large vacant space in the Ferry Building.
The owners of A16, a decades-old Bay Area institution and Michelin Bib Gourmand, or good value pick, are opening a new restaurant focused on Southern Italian cooking. Called Lucania, it’s slated to open next year in the former MarketBar Cafe space, which has sat vacant since closing in 2020. A focus will be seafood plates, with marinated anchovies, roasted sardines and steamed mussels, according to a press release. Fresh pastas and pizza are also in the plans.
When it opens in the second half of 2026, it will be the second A16 restaurant at the Ferry Building, where the team has operated Roman-style pizza shop A16 La Pala on a permanent basis since 2024. That space was home to an A16 Italian pantry during the pandemic. A16 has also been expanding recently, adding a location in Napa.
A16 co-owner Shelley Lindgren was not immediately available for comment.
Plans for Lucania’s 3,000-square-foot space include long operating hours, allowing customers to stop by for a morning coffee or an after-work drink. There will be an outdoor patio taking inspiration from Italian piazzas fitted with weather coverings and heating, allowing diners to enjoy views of the Embarcadero’s bustle year-round.
News of Lucania follows some high-profile arrivals at the Ferry Building, long one of the culinary centers of San Francisco. Nopa Fish, a seafood market and casual restaurant from the team at Nopa, opened recently. Last year chef Nite Yun opened her acclaimed Cambodian restaurant Lunette. Other restaurants also in the works include Parachute Bakery and Arquet, a California restaurant, both from the chef behind Michelin-starred Sorrel.
The Ferry Building, operated by Hudson Pacific Properties, has also declined to renew the leases on some other tenants, like Reem’s and the Grande Crêperie citing their desire to turn the location into a late-night destination. But at least by day, the property is doing well: According to an earnings call, the Ferry Building had its best first quarter on record in 2025 in terms of foot traffic, a 23% year-over-year increase.
Dining and Cooking