The Ferry Building just filled one of its last vacancies

A buzzy San Francisco restaurateur plans to debut a Mediterranean restaurant inside the Ferry Building next summer. 

Kaïs Bouzidi — who runs Sens, Barcha, and Bon Délire — has signed a lease in one of the last vacant suites and plans to open Hayati, which means “my love” in Arabic. 

“Establishing a presence within the Ferry Building has long been a dream of mine, and when the opportunity to take over a historic suite within the property came up at a time that felt right for us, our team was eager to pursue it,” Bouzidi said in a statement. 

Hayati will fill the space previously occupied by Boulettes Larder, which closed in August after a 20-year run. That farm-to-table restaurant was one of the original tenants when the Ferry Building debuted after a years-long renovation, and its closure left a high-profile hole in the bustling food hall. 

Bouzidi seems primed to step in and fill the space. A native of Paris, he moved to San Francisco at age 21 and in 2007 opened Sens at the Embarcadero Center. He added Barcha to his portfolio in 2015, and Bon Délire, a modern French bistro, opened at Pier 3 on the Embarcadero in 2024. While Bouzidi is still developing plans for Hayati, his other restaurants serve Mediterranean-leaning dishes like paella, halibut, and charcoal-grilled chicken kebab. 

The Ferry Building is having a post-pandemic resurgence as a dining hot spot; highlights include the recent opening of Parachute bakery and the impending launches of Italian restaurant Lucania and Arquet, which will focus on California cuisine. The facility has also emphasized events, including music performances and movie nights, and is encouraging businesses to extend their hours to nighttime.

Only one sizable space within the building remains empty: a suite with a full kitchen and seating area that formerly hosted Reem’s and Red Bay Coffee.