Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a pioneer of specialty Yemeni coffee in San Francisco, and author Dave Eggers are partnering to open a cafe and gallery at Pier 29's Art + Water, a new 70,000-square-foot arts nonprofit set to launch in late summer or fall 2026. Alkhanshali will operate a large cafe space featuring a new luxury coffee brand, while Art + Water will offer free studio space for artists and 10,000 square feet of gallery space, hosting rotating artists and workshops in collaboration with the Community Arts Stabilization Trust.
This project matters because it combines coffee culture with visual arts in a nonprofit model that prioritizes craft and community over profit. By providing free studio space and gallery access to artists priced out of other venues, Art + Water addresses San Francisco's ongoing crisis of affordable art spaces. The partnership between a celebrated coffee roaster and a literary figure also highlights how interdisciplinary collaborations can create new cultural hubs in underserved areas.