Popular paella popup opening S.F. Spanish market
The Spanish cuisine popup whose paella dazzled San Francisco is making a comeback.
Victoria and Juan Lozano, the father-daughter team that started Caldero in 2023, will open a Spanish goods store bearing the same name at 2149 Union St. in the Marina District. The compact, 600-square-foot shop will stock imported cheeses, wines and preserves, along with Bay Area items like bags of coffee, seasonings and sauces. Shelf space will also include home goods like tableware and decorative items.
'It's a place where you can pick up a birthday gift or maybe a nice wine and some olives for tonight,' said Victoria Lozano, chef-owner of the now-shuttered Venezuelan restaurant Andina.
The new store will also serve as a hub for customers to inquire about catering services, which will include the arepas which turned Andina into a hit, as well as a Caldero menu. Expect Juan's expertly made paella to remain Caldero's top draw, made with a fish and octopus broth and studded with shrimp and mussels. Other dishes may include airy Spanish tortillas, mushrooms or shrimp tossed in a garlic sauce and a variety of tapas.
Victoria said continuing the Caldero name and legacy is important for the family. Her father named his first restaurant Tasca Restaurante El Caldero in their home town of Rubio, Venezuela back in 1991. There, the whole family worked together as Juan prepared Spanish dishes that drew fame to the business. The restaurant closed in 2018, a year after Victoria left for the U.S. following older sister Maria Jose. Juan arrived in San Francisco in January 2023, after his humanitarian parole request was accepted.
With her own popup Andina, serving Venezuelan food, Victoria took over the kitchen at Hayes Valley bar B-Side during daytime hours. But at the end of March, she closed due to burnout and a tough economic outlook in the city. She and her husband are also expecting their first child this year, so she wanted to accommodate a future work schedule while nurturing a growing family. Similarly, she is mindful of the toll being in the restaurant took on her father, who insists on working everyday.
Lozano signed the new lease around the time she closed Andina. Taking over the new space was fairly straightforward, she said. But one obstacle she will have to grapple with are tariffs, which bumped up the cost of her Spanish imports on a recent order.
'A $5 tinned fish at wholesale was now $6. Other things went up from 75 cents up to $2,' she said. Lozano estimates the increase over the course of a few days for an order was roughly $800. 'When you're buying at that scale every cent adds up,' she said.
The family is working toward getting the space ready by May 30, just in time for the Marina's Union Street Fair. This week, Victoria and her father painted the walls, getting them ready for the family photos and artifacts from the original Caldero, which will decorate the space.
'I'm happy that my dad gets to continue working with us. The whole family is included here,' she said.
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