Exclusive: Sports bar opening in SoMa as World Cup prepares to kick off
A new San Francisco sports bar and restaurant called SoMa Social is opening Friday, a month before World Cup matches begin.
SoMa Social is located at 121 7th St., within the SoMa House hotel, and is the latest in a multi-year bet by Oxford Hotels & Resorts on the corridor. The company owns three hotels within a few blocks, including SoMa House, Hotel Garrett and Hotel Fiona.
The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, with dishes that include bread pudding French toast, sausage Benedict, hot honey chicken biscuits and pork belly nachos.
The opening comes as San Francisco officials expect growth in tourism this year on the strength of conferences and major events like the Super Bowl. In contrast, Bay Area hotel bookings for the World Cup have been disappointing amid visa challenges.
Still, the leisure and hospitality sector, including restaurants, have seen strong job growth in the past year that has outpaced other industries, according to state data.
"We are thrilled to be contributing to the comeback of not just San Francisco but the SoMa market specifically," said Grant Gedemer, vice President of food & beverage at Oxford Hotels and Resorts, in a statement. "Hospitality for us is about community and about creating spaces where people want to gather. Destinations like SoMa Social are essential to the vitality of any neighborhood and we look forward to creating a space that brings people together to socialize, celebrate and unwind."
The new eatery's chef, Dan Talton, previously worked at the now-closed Lord Stanley and Fog City Diner.
Oxford had initially aimed to open the bar last fall, but it isn't clear why the opening was delayed.
The company also renovated the former Empire Hotel, which appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" That hotel reopened as the Hotel Julian in 2024 with a new restaurant called Carlotta's.
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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 10:35 AM.