SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – San Francisco’s Ferry Building has a new reason to stop for a sweet treat — and East Bay farmers market regulars may already know the name.
The Frenchy Gourmet, a popular artisan kefir-yogurt vendor with a following across the Bay Area, has opened its first permanent location inside the landmark waterfront marketplace. The new counter is near Gott’s Roadside and Humphry Slocombe.
For shoppers elsewhere in the Bay Area, the name may ring a bell. The Frenchy Gourmet has been a regular at farmers markets in Danville and Brentwood, where it sells a wide range of French-style yogurt flavors alongside gourmet cheeses.
The business was founded by Muhammad Ali (not the boxer, a restaurateur by the same name) during the pandemic and built its reputation at farmers markets before landing the Ferry Building kiosk. The permanent storefront is a significant next step for a brand that had previously relied on a roaming schedule of market stands throughout the Bay Area.
Despite its French name, the yogurt’s story also has Tunisian roots. Ali has said the fruit-forward recipes were inspired by yogurt his grandmother made in Tunisia with milk and fruit preserves. His version uses kefir, creating a particularly rich, tangy texture that lands somewhere between classic yogurt and a soft cultured cheese.
The Ferry Building location will offer more than 30 flavors, with options ranging from fruit-forward choices such as lemon, sour cherry, mango and guava to more dessert-like combinations including Nutella and white chocolate. The yogurts are sold in 8-ounce containers for $8, or four for $30.
There will also be ready-to-eat parfaits with yogurt, fresh fruit and granola, plus savory kefir-cheese spreads in flavors like feta-jalapeno and tomato-garlic. Those will be paired with fried pita chips and dehydrated vegetable chips, making the small counter more than simply a place to grab dessert.
The Ferry Building has been adding new food vendors as it refreshes its already packed marketplace lineup. The historic building, which has been a San Francisco landmark since 1898, is home to nearly 50 food merchants, restaurants and specialty shops.
