North Beach is one of the most popular destinations in San Francisco. If you think tourists come to North Beach for the beach, you are mistaken. There is no beach in North Beach, and the area is known as the Little Italy of San Francisco! Interestingly North Beach is next to Chinatown just like New York City's Chinatown which is also next to Little Italy. I guess both NYC and SF have similar "minds".

Tourists and locals flock to North Beach for Italian food. There is a great dense of Italian caffes and restaurants. You can walk by restaurants and browse their menus on the street before deciding which restaurant to dine in. North Beach is one of my favorite dining destinations and we like to bring friends from out of town here.

I am attracted to North Beach's quirky charm, and would love to share few interesting tidbits. The Sentinel Building (as known as Columbus Tower), which is a landmark, was almost taken to the grave until Francis Ford Coppola, famed director and writer of Godfather Trilogy, stepped in and purchased the whole building. He renovated it to become the building that it is. Coppola occupied most of the building, turning the space into the American Zoetrope studio. He also runs a restaurant on the ground floor, Cafe Zoetrope with most of the wines coming from his winery, Rubicon Estate Winery in Napa Valley. Another famous resident, Joe DiMaggio and his then wife, Marilyn Monroe also made their home in North Beach for a while.

Is the Location Right?
There is much history and charm in North Beach. I have thought about opening Mozzeria there. Foot traffic in North Beach is great. Many people walk down the streets at night, and there are a lot of cars going by. Restaurants in the area are, in general, doing well. People can be seen at the caffes sipping their cup of espresso or enjoying their gelatos. North Beach also has an advantage -- weather is warmer in North Beach than other parts of San Francisco.

On the downside, all restaurants are pretty much the same; all serve pasta and pizzas. At least two pizzerias serve Neapolitan pizzas. How would Mozzeria stand out in the competition? Vacant or closed restaurant space is seldom available and whenever a space comes up for lease or sale, competitors will want to fight for that space because it would give options to remain in the area as most of the restaurants have been in business for a long time.

Hey friends, - What Do You Think? Should Mozzeria make its home in North Beach or search elsewhere?