Look, we're never going to root against a new small business. Someone putting their savings on the line to serve handmade rice balls in one of San Francisco's most competitive food corridors? That takes guts, and we genuinely wish them well. But the constant churn of small food businesses in the Mission tells a story that City Hall would rather you not think too hard about.

The reality is that operating a small food business in San Francisco remains a gauntlet of permits, fees, and regulatory headaches that would make a bureaucrat blush — if bureaucrats were capable of shame. Between sky-high commercial rents, layers of city licensing requirements, and the sheer cost of doing business here, it's a minor miracle any independent restaurant survives past year three.

Speaking of which, there's a bright spot worth mentioning: Fox and Lion Bread, also in the Mission, just celebrated its third anniversary. In a neighborhood where restaurant turnover sometimes feels like a speedrun, hitting three years is a genuine achievement. Congratulations to them for defying the odds.

The Mission remains one of the most vibrant food neighborhoods in the country — not because of anything the city government does, but largely in spite of it. Every new opening represents someone betting on themselves and this community. Every closure is a reminder that San Francisco's regulatory environment extracts a brutal toll on the little guys while the big chains shrug it off as a cost of doing business.

So here's to the new onigiri spot. May your rice be perfectly seasoned, your nori crisp, and your permitting process mercifully short. And to the outgoing bakery — thanks for the pastries. The Mission was better for having you.

Valencia Live also returns in May, which means the corridor will have some extra foot traffic. New restaurant, meet your future regulars.