Postscript was a bougie café in Jackson Square that people often referred to as San Francisco’s Erewhon — the Los Angeles grocery store that built an empire on $19 smoothies, raw sea moss gel, and unapologetic luxury-as-a-lifestyle aesthetics.
But on January 28, the sleek doors at 499 Jackson Street quietly closed up, and the $16 functional lattes stopped flowing.
But the “Erewhon of the North” didn’t go out in bankruptcy. After a year of being the chicest spot for the venture capital crowd to grab a “Glow” smoothie, owners Gina and Stuart Peterson decided that the grind of daily retail wasn’t for them.
They’re sticking to the beans, keeping the space for their wholesale roasting operation while handing the keys to a crowd-favorite. That’s at least their spin on things. If you ask us, it feels like someone sent a press release that quietly wrapped this whole thing up; as per the SF Chronicle:
Enter Loveski Deli. The “Jew-ish” bagel concept from three-Michelin-starred chef Christopher Kostow is slated to move in by early March. It’s a bit of a vibe shift, trading minimalist “market” shelves for arguably the best bagels in the Bay, but they aren’t ditching the Postscript DNA entirely. Loveski plans to keep the original coffee, smoothies, and juices on the menu.
Perhaps the most surprising part of the exit? It wasn’t the legal heat. For over a year, the café was locked in a trademark battle with post.script., a small stationery shop in Lower Pacific Heights. While that “David vs. Goliath” drama—filled with confused delivery drivers and overlapping lifestyle branding—made plenty of headlines, the Petersons maintain the closure was strictly a business pivot.
The era of SF’s Erewhon has officially ended, for now. There are, of course, those untrue rumors an actual Erewhon will grace our hilly city. But don’t worry—between the Michelin-star bagels and the leftover Postscript beans, Jackson Square’s caffeine-and-carb addiction is in very expensive, very capable hands.
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