café suspiro

café suspiro in San Francisco brings coffee, books, and records together in a small SoMa space. In this interview, the owner discusses the neighborhood, the store’s all-day mix of visitors, and the music that sets the mood.

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Interview with café suspiro

Cafe Suspiro brings together coffee, records, and books in one room. How did that combination come about?

I wanted to bring together things I love and elements that would help create a community of coffee, book, and music lovers.

You're on Folsom in SoMa. What does the space mean in that part of San Francisco, and who's coming through?

Our location sits in SoMaWest, known as a queer-friendly leather district and a tech startup hub. An area once known for its vibrant underground arts and club scenes. Our shop reflects all of that.

The folks coming in are mostly locals who live and work in the area - artists, writers, tech workers, neighbors, coffee lovers, and music lovers. You can find them all rubbing shoulders in our little shop.

What kinds of records feel right in a cafe like yours — what are you spinning and stocking?

It depends on the day's vibe. I lean more towards indie, jazz, Latin. Other baristas lean toward goth, industrial, darkwave and international music.

We stock used records of many genres and order new releases/reissues of pop, indie, dance, hip-hop, house, postmodern, jazz, etc. Last record I spun at the shop was the latest from FKA Twigs - Eusexua, great record.

Do people discover the records while they're in for coffee, or come in for the vinyl already?

Some look over and discover that we sell records and books as they buy their coffee. Some come in just for the vinyl or books. Many come in for all three!

Do local musicians or events shape what plays in the room?

Yes, we recently kicked off the Saturday Afternoon Suspiro Sesh. On Saturdays, we host a DJ, a pop-up, or a live music performance. The music we choose for the day helps set the stage.

Someone comes in for a coffee and gets curious about the bins — what record do you hand them?

Right now, I would hand them an Island Records compilation called The Vinyl Series Volume One*, featuring classic Jamaican ska numbers by Toots and the Maytals, The Melodians, Derrick Morgan. You simply cannot have a bad day after putting this record on.

What's the one that got away — a record you saw come and go too fast?

Message from a Soul Sister - Vicki Anderson. A great classic soul compilation released in 1992. The week it arrived, I had it playing on the store's turntable, when someone asked if it was for sale.

Hey, I gotta pay rent.

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Last updated: 2026-10-25

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