In May 2014, Proper Food opened its first location at 100 First Street in a tiny spot that had been carved out of the parking garage. There were still parking spaces on the floor when they took over the space. Ten years later, Proper Food is about to open its 18th location in the new Mission Rock Development.
The menu features breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, soups, and chef’s specials created from seasonal, sustainably sourced, all-natural ingredients. Each dish is handmade fresh each morning and conveniently packaged for grab-and-go. All unsold meals are donated to charity at the end of each day.
Created by Co-CEOs Howard and Dana Bloom in partnership with Executive Chef Juan Muñoz, Proper Food opened its first store in San Francisco’s FiDi district in 2014 with the mission of serving quality meals quickly to busy professionals.
Howard says in a statement, “We believe people should not have to choose between eating well or eating fast. Our mission is to change the way people eat on the go.” Adds Dana, “Our core value is that we take great care in everything we do, from consciously sourcing ingredients to providing healthy and flavorful food to giving back to our community. This is why we donate unsold meals to local food banks every night.”
With eleven locations in San Francisco’s Financial District, one in the San Francisco International Airport, one in Menlo Park, CA and four locations in New York City, Proper Food will be opening its 18th location in SF’s new Mission Rock development next month. A collaboration between the San Francisco Giants, the Port of San Francisco and developer Tishman Speyer, Mission Rock will be the city’s largest mixed-use waterfront neighborhood.
To commemorate the 10th anniversary in May, Proper Food will be celebrating with new merchandise, giveaways and even the chance for a customer to win ‘Free Proper Food for a Year’ starting May 13th. Celebrations will continue with the Grand Opening of their newest location, at the new waterfront Mission Rock development in early June.
The Proper Food menu items include Seared Ahi Tuna and Sweet Potato Enchiladas. Proper Food also features baked items from local partner Sunday Bakeshop and fresh-brewed coffee from Andytown Coffee Roasters in all of its Bay Area locations.
Inspired by his father who was always passionate about cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients, Howard Bloom founded Proper Food with wife and Co-CEO Dana Bloom in 2014. Howard and Dana are San Francisco locals who met while attending Stanford University and share a passion for replacing typical fast food with fresh, wholesome, high-quality meals.
To bring their vision to life, the Blooms brought on Chef Juan Muñoz who oversees all menu development and culinary operations. Muñoz’s background prior to Proper Food included working as a Chef at two Michelin-starred restaurants in San Francisco. He utilizes his diverse culinary experience to source local purveyors with seasonal, sustainably-sourced ingredients and highlight those flavors to create bold dishes now accessible to those on the go.
Proper Food partners with growers, ranchers, and suppliers who share the mutual belief that food with integrity begins from the ground up. All proteins and eggs are all-natural, antibiotic, and hormone-free; all fish is sustainably sourced; the produce is fresh and local; the dairy ingredients are hormone and antibiotic-free; and coffee and teas are only direct trade or fair-trade. In addition, all soups, dressings, sauces, aioli, jams, peanut butter, and hummus are housemade from scratch.
The Breakfast selections include Housemade Overnight Gluten-Free Oats with almond milk, almonds, raisins, and cinnamon; Proper Breakfast Sandwich: free-range eggs, white cheddar, roasted tomato aioli, gluten-free English muffin (also available with bacon); Power Breakfast Bowl: Free-range scrambled eggs, parsley, roasted cremini mushrooms, sweet paprika tossed sweet potatoes, white cheddar, chipotle aioli (also available with bacon). Prices range from $6 to $10.
Salad options feature Seared Lemon Pepper Tuna: Ahi tuna, saffron-infused basmati rice, beluga lentils, roasted almonds, Roma tomatoes, kale, sherry vinaigrette; Chinese Chicken Salad: free-range chicken, Marcona almonds, sesame seeds, carrots, wontons, navel oranges, cilantro, red cabbage, romaine, sesame & green onion dressing; and Couscous and Spinach Salad with Honey Coriander Chicken: Honey coriander free-range chicken, baby spinach, Mediterranean couscous, basil pesto, parmesan cheese, roasted red peppers, pine nuts, cranberries, goat cheese, house-made lemon vinaigrette (also available with Honey-Ginger Salmon); Prices range from $12 to $16.
The Sandwiches, Wraps & Soup offerings include a Vegan Wrap: citrus-marinated tofu, roasted sweet potatoes, hummus, roasted tomatoes, marinated kale, spicy lemon vinaigrette, organic wheat tortilla; Buffalo Cauliflower Wrap: buffalo cauliflower, romaine & iceberg lettuce, yellow cheddar cheese, roasted corn aioli on spinach tortilla (also available with Buffalo Chicken); Grilled Herb Chicken Sandwich: Herb-marinated chicken thigh, avocado and green tomato sauce, lemon aioli, roasted peppers, sliced provolone, grilled ciabatta bread; and Carrot Ginger Hazelnut Soup. Prices range from $9 to $12.
Hot Plates include Coconut Curry Tofu: seared organic tofu, roasted broccoli, saffron rice, almonds, cranberries, parsley, coconut-yellow curry (also available with Grilled Chicken); Sweet Potato Enchiladas: sweet potato, guajillo salsa, roasted poblano peppers, corn tortilla, Oaxaca and manchego cheese, onions, cilantro, crème fraîche (also available with Roasted Chicken); and Salmon Teriyaki: fresh glazed salmon, brown rice, broccoli, nori, sesame, green onion, teriyaki sauce. Prices vary from $11 to $16.
The Sides & Dessert menu offers a Proper Chocolate Chip Cookie: dark chocolate and sea salt; Proper Energy Bar: goji berry, rolled oats, flax seed, coconut peanut butter, dark chocolate, dried cherries, and sea salt. The Drink selections include cold-pressed juices, a mix of craft sodas and sparkling water. Prices vary from $3 to $6.
Proper Food offers catered breakfast, lunch, and dinner for groups ranging from small team meetings to company-wide town halls for San Francisco.
