For Pablo Moran, owner of Double Shot Coffee at Mission and Double Shot Express Coffee Cart at Parnassus, owning businesses at UCSF is like being part of a larger community.
“It’s like a big family in San Francisco,” he said. “We love doing business at UCSF. The campuses are clean and welcoming and it’s a step above other neighborhoods in the city. We’re happy to be part of the community.”
Moran opened Double Shot Coffee on 550 Gene Friend Way at UCSF Mission Bay in November 2020. It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. “A friend of mine told me there was a coffee shop for sale at UCSF. I already owned a coffee shop in the Excelsior, and I was looking to expand. It was a perfect fit.”
Double Shot Coffee at Mission Bay has been a hit with students, nurses, doctors, and the surrounding neighborhood. “I would say a little over half of our business is from UCSF and the rest is from the community,” Moran said. “There is a large Hispanic community in the neighborhood, and they support our shop.”
While traffic at Mission Bay has decreased as some employees continue to work remotely, Moran said business has been good and the Campus Life Services Retail staff has worked hard to provide a welcoming environment. “I’m really happy with the support we’ve received,” Moran said. “They bring events to the area which helps bring in people and they provide chairs and shade covering for our customers. They are doing a very good job of helping UCSF’s retail businesses.”
Moran said regular UCSF customers rave about the classic turkey and ham sandwiches made fresh daily. The bagels with different types of spread are also popular. Of course, the coffees will always remain a top seller.
“Our lattes and Mexican mocha are well-liked along with our frappe and fresh juices,” he said.
Double Shot Express Cart at Parnassus Heights.
Moran recently purchased the coffee cart at 400 Parnassus, which is near the valet parking at the ACC Building on Parnassus Avenue. The cart is on location Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“I really love the Parnassus location,” he said. “The fresh air is like paradise, and we have a steady stream of customers.”
Moran said the cart serves a lot of coffee, pastries, bottled water, and soft drinks. Many of the customers are doctors and nurses along with visitors to campus. The former owner sold the cart to Moran when he retired. “I’m really excited to be part of the UCSF community at Parnassus,” he said.
