The Center cannot hold.
After about a decade of operation, a self-described “magical tea house” and event space in the Lower Haight has entered another plane of existence. The community hub known as The Center was forced to stop selling tea this year after the city cited it for operating without permits. Now, in the face of costly upgrades to its space, the business has launched a membership program and is searching for a new home.
“We fully plan on The Center continuing to be a service to the community and to exist, but it just might have to take a different form or be in a different space in order to keep that vision alive,” said co-founder and CEO Zack Wexler-Beron.
Known for its array of classes and events — including yoga, sound baths, ecstatic dance, open-mic nights, and discussions around topics like “authentic relating” and nonmonogamy — The Center has functioned as a gathering space for techies, artists, and spiritual practitioners.
“We refer to The Center as a ‘third space,’ where it plays this role as a community hub for gathering and connection that’s nonalcoholic. And it’s also a space for personal growth and transformation,” Wexler-Beron said. “There’s very few places like this in the city that people can go to connect, grow, and do that inner work that allows us to show up better in the world.”
The facility has a cafe-like space for impromptu socializing and coworking, where volunteers would sell tea, cacao, kava and snacks. This year, however, it transitioned to a free, self-serve model for tea after the city cracked down on The Center for operating since its inception without food safety certifications, proper equipment, or permitting.
The Center is now charging $15 for a day pass to hang out and drink tea in its lounge (with a sliding scale option available), or $70 for a monthly membership. Classes and events maintain separate pricing, including a monthly pass for yoga.
“Change is always hard,” Wexler-Beron said. “But I think the community recognizes that this is a necessary change to stay open.”
An “intentional” living community that shared space with The Center also appears to be in flux.
The Center’s other founders, Anwen Baumeister and Danny Kaufman, have turned their attention to a members club, The Portal, they launched in Marin. “After months of doing both at the same time, I decided to put my full energy into one,” Baumeister said.
Community members who love The Center have continued to support it, Wexler-Beron said, citing an increase in tea passes sold recently. One dedicated volunteer, Mark Black, credits the community for deepening his capacity for connection and vulnerability since he started visiting consistently in 2022.
“I just remember this ‘Alice in Wonderland’-like experience of walking down the alley, and then there’s this whole world that unfolds in front of you,” he said of his first visit to the facility at 548 Fillmore St. “It had this magical openness and this living-room vibe.”
Even if the changes “feel jarring” to some, Black said he understands The Center’s need to shift its structure and still stops by regularly to volunteer by cleaning or doing dishes.
“It’s a community space, so it is what people make of it,” he said. “If people drop in, they can make it what they want. I’m hopeful that it will take a new form and that the community is still open. It’s just changing.”
For Wexler-Beron, the goal is to maintain The Center’s spirit and accessibility, even as it moves through “larger questions” about its future.
“Come in and do yoga. Come in and co-work. Support the space by using it,” he said. “Just showing up is huge.”