Ocean Avenue has always been a great place to find an awesome meal, whether it’s a quick stop at Whole Foods market or a visit to one of the many restaurants like Beep’s Burgers or Poke Bowl. However, in recent weeks, we’ve noticed a few new faces in the area.

That’s Amore Pizza recently opened on 1901 Ocean Avenue, and in addition to woodfired pizzas that would appeal to both vegetarians and meat lovers, other menu items include calamari, meatballs and several different salads. Just order online and you can pick up your food or have it delivered. 

Another new business, which has taken over a 47,000 square foot space in Oceanview Village Shopping Center, will give shoppers another alternative for groceries and a wider range to choose from. Korean grocery chain, HMart, opened its first San Francisco location on April 2, and refer to themselves as “a one-stop shop for everything Asian and more” including groceries and housewares. 

According to James Sanchez ’22, he is looking forward to the new store. “I want to get into Korean culture and food more. Having a Korean store close to Riordan would be really cool since it offers more diversity in food choices.”

For a change of pace, located at 1608 Ocean Avenue Jamaica Africa Yay Area offers healthy fruit powders, spices, clothing, skin, and hair products. The connection between their vast collection of items for sale is that all items are vegan. According to their website, “VeganFoLife is about promoting and pushing a healthier way of living and eating, waking people up to be a healthier you.”

Good health should involve furry friends as well. Ocean Paws, at 1637 Ocean Avenue, just opened its doors on May 14 and offers pet supplies, grooming services and even has a “pet playground.” According to the owner, Mike Sorrel, it’s a great place for dogs to hang out, play and even learn a thing or two. 

“We just built two of our training areas and starting on June 1. We’ll have a training program that we’ll be implementing,” he said. “Then every day from 5-6 is basically a free pup social hour. Everybody can come and hang out and when it gets more popular we will absolutely divide by size of dog and ages of dogs throughout the week.”

When asked how he likes the neighborhood so far, Sorrel commented that he is a long-time resident and loves it.   

“I live here so I’m absolutely part of the neighborhood. It’s awesome,” he said. “ I believe you should shop local and I wish it had more to offer and that’s why we opened the store.” 

In addition to their services, Ocean Paws also works with local rescues, frequently hosts pet adoption events, and offers each adoptee the opportunity to get groomed to look their best. 

Residents are excited to see these new shops open up on or near Ocean Avenue because it makes the neighborhood more vibrant and lively. The new shops have added more variety for residents in the area and many say it’s nice to see the neighborhood making a comeback from the pandemic.

Math teacher Anne Freeman said, “Frequently, I see a ‘closed for good’  sign on some of those businesses I pass by and I’m so sad to see some of them closing.”

She added, “Knowing that there’s going to be new businesses opening back up on Ocean makes me feel really excited and makes me think that we are starting to crawl out of the Covid times. The folks that are opening up new businesses are not only showing a lot of hope, but a tremendous amount of courage as well.”