San Francisco

Home to more than 150 alternative protein companies, the Bay area is an undeniable food tech hot spot. Startups in San Francisco span all the alt protein technology pillars—plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated. The area also plays host to two Alt Protein Project campuses—University of California Berkeley and Stanford University, two of 36 student chapters leading an alternative protein revolution across 17 countries and five continents. Then consider California’s leadership on state government funding for alternative protein R&D, and you have a trifecta of reasons why San Francisco was selected as the GFC 2023 host city.

Extra bonus: The Bay area’s unparalleled outdoor spaces, parks, native biodiversity, coastal vistas, foodie scene, world-class culture, and commitment to sustainability sealed the deal for us. Come join us in this beautiful, brilliant town!

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)

BART is a fast and inexpensive way to get from SFO to San Francisco. To access BART from SFO, just follow the signs at baggage claim for the free SFO AirTrain. Take the red or blue SFO AirTrain line to the Garage G/BART Station and purchase a ticket from the dedicated ticket machines. It is necessary to purchase a Clipper card to ride BART.

A one-way ticket is approximately $10 plus the cost of the clipper card. BART trains depart from SFO roughly every 15 minutes. For more information, please visit bart.gov

Ride sharing

Popular app-based services such as lyft or uber are readily available in San Francisco. The pickup location for these services is the roof of the Center Garage for domestic terminal; and the Departures/Ticketing Level at the international terminal. Travel times and fares can fluctuate, but generally a one-way fare could be $40 and take 30-minutes (depending on traffic).

Taxi

Taxis depart from the islands on the lower level outside the Arrivals/Baggage Claim area in all terminals. Taxis are typically available between 7am and 1am, and a typical fare runs from $46 to $66, and takes 30 minutes (depending on traffic).

Cable cars and street cars

Cable cars are located downtown and run on three lines. Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason, and California St. The F-line streetcar runs up and down Market St and all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf. You can purchase tickets and passes in advance using the MuniMobileApp.

Muni

Muni is San Francisco’s metro system. Muni bus stops can be in the form of shelters, yellow-painted street poles, or white-painted street stops. Additionally, metro stops can be found on an island in the middle of the street and in stations. You can purchase tickets and passes in advance using the MuniMobileApp.

Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture is located in the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood, one of San Francisco’s most popular destinations for a reason. Visit the San Francisco Travel Guide of the Fisherman’s Wharf’s neighborhood for ideas and inspiration if you plan on visiting this iconic destination: Fisherman’s Wharf | San Francisco Travel (sftravel.com)

Some insider tips from GFIers based in and around the region:

• Get some hiking in! Twin Peaks or Angel Island are popular spots with great views.
• Check out local restaurants relatively close (within 3 miles) to Fisherman’s Wharf: Baia, Wildseed, Rad Radish, Pena Pachamama, Nourish Cafe, Enjoy Vegetarian, Lucky Creation, Mr. Charlie’s, Greens.
• Visit the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero.