Spro is a way of life. Spro is a way of being. The word “spro”—an colloquial abbreviation for espresso—came into popular parlance sometime in the overheated early days of the third wave coffee boom. Here’s a Reddit thread of people talking about it from 2012. Here’s a Sprudge story that uses “spro” in 2010. We’re working on reporting the fascinating slang etymological history around “spro” in the coming days on Sprudge—watch this space!
In the meantime, there is SPRO Coffee Lab, a new coffee bar in San Francisco’s FiDi, a few short blocks from the historic Ferry Building. With a serious gear set-up and focus on international coffee culture, this spot is high on our radar as a major new opening here in 2026. Let’s learn more.
The 2026 Build-outs of Coffee is presented by DONA, Pacific Barista Series, and La Marzocco.
As told to Sprudge by Rich Lee.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
SPRO Coffee Lab is a San Francisco born specialty coffee company that I founded with my wife, Liza, my partner in the business and in everything else. We started in 2017 as a single coffee trailer with no outside investment, opened our first brick-and-mortar cafe in 2021, and have grown thoughtfully across the city ever since, always staying focused on hospitality, community, and coffee that feels exciting without feeling intimidating.
I will be honest: I have always carried major impostor syndrome, and it has never fully gone away. What it has done is push me to never stop growing. Every year I have tried to transform myself into a better barista than the year before. Liza bet on me early, and I am constantly trying to make sure she did not bet on the wrong person. In the same way, I feel I do not yet deserve San Francisco, so I keep trying to make this city a better place.
At our core, SPRO has always been about making specialty coffee more approachable and more memorable. We care deeply about sourcing beautiful coffees, telling the stories behind them, and creating spaces where people feel welcomed, whether they are tasting a rare competition level coffee or just stopping in for their daily latte. San Francisco has given us so much, and we see our cafes as part of the city’s daily rhythm, places that feel alive, generous, and rooted in the neighborhoods they serve.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
Our new cafe at 201 Spear is focused on European style coffee, with coffees sourced from the places that have inspired me most: Barcelona, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris. The goal is a menu that feels both approachable and aspirational. Someone can walk in for something familiar and comforting, but also have access to coffees that are usually much harder to find.
The food program follows the same spirit as the coffee. Breakfast and lunch are made in-house every day, with a rotating menu that draws inspiration from other countries, and we press our own juices fresh daily. The whole space is built around the idea of bringing flavors from far away home to San Francisco.
This space is also personal for me. When I first started as a barista, I used to imagine what it would feel like to work inside a truly thoughtful cafe, something almost like being inside origami, where the room itself could unfold around you. Years later, some of those early sketches are literally part of this project. The ceiling became a major design feature, almost an art piece and a mission statement at the same time.
I worked with Lincoln Lighthill to bring this vision to life, and he introduced ideas around architecture, lighting, and spatial design that pushed the project far beyond what I could have imagined on my own. The result is a cafe that feels intentional from every angle, from the ceiling and lighting down to the way guests move through the space.
For us, 201 Spear is not just another cafe. It is a state of the art space with a thoughtfully curated food and coffee program, rotating menus, and the chance to serve everything from everyday favorites to exceptionally rare coffees in a way that still feels warm, accessible, and very San Francisco.
What’s your approach to coffee?
Our approach is rooted in curiosity, hospitality, and respect for the people behind the coffee. Part of why specialty coffee fascinates me so much is that it never stops changing. Every year, coffee becomes better than the year before, and that is something very dear to me. I try to hold myself to the same standard.
Our entire program is built around importing exceptional coffees from places that are not local, mostly from roasters across Europe, and bringing something from very far away home to San Francisco. That is the magic of it for us.
We focus on exceedingly rare coffees, and we are not shying away from the price. We are simply focused on serving the absolute best quality we can find and offer. We are especially drawn to coffees that show clarity, sweetness, and a strong sense of place. At the same time, we never want coffee to feel exclusive or hard to understand. A big part of our work is translating that complexity into an experience that feels joyful for guests.
I serve as a Certified Sensory Judge for the US Barista Championship, and years of judging and learning from coffee professionals around the world have shaped how we build our program. I see our cafes as a way to bring that global coffee conversation back home to San Francisco.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
On bar, we are running Modbar, La Marzocco‘s newest edition, paired with the Mahlkönig E80 GBS and Weber Workshops EG-1 for grinding frozen coffees, with a dedicated water filtration setup supporting both espresso and brewed coffee. On the espresso side we are also using the Weber Workshops Unifilter and the Pesado fast extraction screen, and our brew bar features the Hario Neo for pour-overs alongside the new ThermoPro X by Curtis. The bar is designed for a three to four barista workflow, and we thought hard about flow. We even paid extra for a dedicated steam wand by the register, toward the end of the line. With two steam wands at the espresso machine, one is almost always underutilized, so separating one out keeps drinks moving and the bar balanced. The space stays technically strong behind the counter while feeling simple and welcoming from the guest side. We also have specialized equipment for pressing fresh juice in house every day.
The coffee menu will be extensive: single origin espresso, single origin pour-overs, and a rotating selection of standout coffees from all over Europe, with a focus on exceptionally rare lots. About half of the menu is designed around Geshas and other rare coffees. We will also carry retail beans that guests cannot get anywhere else, and we are continuing to explore frozen coffee offerings, reserve coffees, and brew experiences not commonly available in San Francisco.
How is your project considering sustainability?
For us, sustainability is both environmental and human. On the environmental side, we make thoughtful choices around sourcing, waste, packaging, and operations wherever possible, and we prioritize coffee partners who value long term relationships and responsible sourcing. One small but deliberate choice: we do not charge extra for milk alternatives. Dairy is one of the largest parts of a cafe’s environmental footprint, and we never want the more sustainable choice to cost our guests more.
On the human side, sustainability means building a business that can support our team, our vendors, and our city over time. Independent cafes are not easy to operate, especially in San Francisco, so part of the work is creating a model that can last. We want to grow in a way that is responsible and still rooted in care.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
We are hoping to open at the end of July 2026.
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
Absolutely, this cafe is very much a collective effort. We partnered with Strada on this project, and the architecture, lighting, and spatial design were shaped by Lincoln Lighthill, who was the original architect for some of the original Blue Bottle cafes. Lincoln took a very rough draft of my vision and brought it to life. He is an incredible person, and I plan on working with him on more projects to come.
Our signage was crafted by one of the industry’s best, Tinkering Monkey. They have always built our signage and their work is incredible. Our furniture is hand built, custom made for the space by Coffey Custom Builds. Espresso Services Inc. helped us design and outfit the bar, and Young Electric Co. handled our AV and technical systems.
More broadly, SPRO has always been shaped by the coffee community around us: baristas, producers, roasters, designers, guests, and friends who believe in what San Francisco can be. This cafe is a continuation of that shared effort.
Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about SPRO and our new Spear location. We are excited to bring this cafe to the Embarcadero and continue sharing special coffees with San Francisco.
The 2026 Build-outs of Coffee is presented by DONA, Pacific Barista Series, and La Marzocco.
