San Francisco taqueria El Faro looks to sell, saying their rent has nearly doubled

By Loureen Ayyoub

San Francisco taqueria El Faro, credited with inventing the super burrito, may be forced to sell its restaurant, citing an extreme rent increase.

Esther Harkreader has lived in the Mission District neighborhood for 20 years. For her, it’s like home. 

“I don’t even have to say anything. I just walk in and say, ‘Hi.’ And they say, ‘How many?’ And they make my food. They know me. They are good neighbors,” Harkreader said.

El Faro has been in the Mission since 1961, known for its famous super burrito. But as the economy booms in San Francisco, so does the rent. The daughter of the family-owned business says her mother was caught off guard by the rent increase. 

“To our surprise, it was almost a double raise, so it was like 73% increase after we did some math,” Patricia Kocourek. “(My mother) spent her adult life coming from Mexico here. She’s very attached sentimentally.”

Customers, like Harkreader, can feel that community connection firsthand.

“She has given me free burritos on my birthday before, and they’ve become good friends, I feel like, you know? I read the story last night, and I almost cried,” Harkreader said.

Ce’Myah Bacchus attends a nearby school in the neighborhood and says the owners always take care of her, even when she is short on cash.

“I’m pretty sad, honestly, because it’s been here for so long. The burritos are so great. And the people there are just so nice. Any time I don’t have enough, they give me a discount,” Bacchus said.

The restaurant was able to pay rent for the month of April, but they say the future remains uncertain. 

Currently, El Faro is listed on Facebook Marketplace for $225,000. They say so far, they haven’t gotten any offers close to their asking price.