It’s been nearly three years since the Safeway at 350 Bay St. went dark, leaving North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf residents without a full-service grocery store and the Northpoint Centre feeling like a mall that forgot what it was for. But fresh evidence on the ground — including construction barriers, plywood walls, and a pair of hard-to-miss banners — confirms that Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is actively building out the space, and the neighborhood’s long grocery drought may finally be nearing its end.
“Future Home of Grocery Outlet” banner on the Northpoint Centre facade at Bay St. – John Rohen / Hoodline San Francisco Photojournalist
Hoodline journalist John Rohen spotted the active construction site this week, documenting the exterior banners draped across the Northpoint Centre facade on Bay Street and the interior build-out underway within the mall. Construction notices taped to plastic sheeting inside identify the project as belonging to contractor Tilton Pacific Construction, with the permit address listed as 350 Bay St., Suite 113.
A Long Time Coming
Grocery Outlet’s arrival at the Northpoint Centre has been years in the making. The SF Standard first reported Grocery Outlet’s interest in the space back in May 2023, just as the Safeway was closing — though those early overtures stalled when the entire property was listed for sale. The Northpoint Centre and its adjacent 72-unit apartment complex eventually sold to San Jose-based Anchor Pacific Capital for $25.76 million, according to SFist. New ownership, it turned out, was the unlock.
By January 2025, a deal that had been building for over a year was finally formalized. District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter, Grocery Outlet, and Anchor Pacific Capital announced a signed 15-year lease agreement, with CEO Eric Lindberg projecting an early 2026 opening, according to The SF Standard. Property owner Anton Qiu told The San Francisco Chronicle the store would open in Q1 2026. That window has now closed, and while the store is clearly mid-construction, a confirmed opening date has not been announced.
What’s Going In
The new Grocery Outlet will occupy roughly 30,000 square feet — about 65% of the former Safeway’s footprint, with the remainder reserved for back-of-house operations and storage, according to The SF Standard. Grocery Outlet and Anchor Pacific Capital together plan to invest roughly $5 million in the build-out, per The Chronicle. The store is also expected to create more than 50 jobs, with Lindberg committing to hire from within the surrounding community, as reported by The SF Standard…