Bagel Maker Daily Driver Whittles Down to Two San Francisco Locations

Popular San Francisco bagel maker Daily Driver has permanently closed the Cow Hollow location it opened in late 2023. A manager confirmed the closure to Eater over the phone on Monday, August 12, saying that business at the company’s Union Street location had been relatively slow. Founders Tamara Hicks and David Jablons opened the first location of Daily Driver in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood in 2019, helping usher in the Bay Area’s bagel wave by serving fresh-churned cream cheese and cultured butter and cranking out thousands of hand-rolled bagels a day. Just a year later, the duo added a quick-serve bagel shop at the Ferry Building. Both locations remain open.

Restaurants take another COVID insurance hit

On Thursday, August 8, California’s state Supreme Court ruled that San Francisco restaurant John’s Grill’s financial losses from COVID shutdowns are not covered by an insurance policy that applies specifically to viruses — those “carried by water or windstorms” — the San Francisco Chronicle reports. This was a follow-up to a major ruling in May, when the Court decided that businesses that temporarily closed or canceled events due to shutdowns did not suffer property damage, handing insurance companies a massive win. According to the Chron, John’s Grill already settled its insurance case in 2022 for a “substantial” amount, so it won’t take a financial hit due to the Court’s decision — but the ruling may make it trickier for other businesses disputing insurance policies to win their claims.

Fundraiser launches for cafe owner fighting cancer

Friends have launched a $20,000 GoFundMe campaign to support Sarah Deigert, owner of San Francisco “breakfast speakeasy” and catering business Farm:Table. Deigert is undergoing treatment for breast cancer including both chemo and a double mastectomy while still working to recover from the pandemic’s effects on the restaurant industry. Keep an eye on the GoFundMe page for updates on Deigert’s progress — in the meantime, the cafe is still open for breezy breakfasts of lavender lattes, breakfast sandwiches, sourdough French toast, and more.