Why Bi-Rite is on Traced
Curation as a transparency act
Bi-Rite has been family-owned in San Francisco’s Mission District since 1964. It became a B Corp in 2010 — among the first grocery retailers to do so. But the reason it’s on Traced is more specific than the B Corp status.
Bi-Rite’s shelves are curated by staff who actively evaluate sourcing and ownership before a product gets listed. In practice, this means that in the categories Traced has investigated — ice cream, chocolate, pasta, supplements — the Bi-Rite shelf tends to reflect independent producers and brands with genuine sourcing stories, not the conglomerate-owned alternatives that dominate national grocery.
The Halo Top case: Halo Top has been owned by Wells Enterprises (a conventional ice cream conglomerate) since 2019. Traced’s investigation documents the gap between the brand’s wellness positioning and its current ownership structure. Bi-Rite carries Bi-Rite Creamery (their own), Salt & Straw, and other independently-owned ice cream producers instead. The shelf is the editorial judgment made visible.
This doesn’t mean every product at Bi-Rite is sourcing-transparent or independently owned. It means the curation standard is higher than conventional grocery, and the staff can explain why something is on the shelf. That’s a form of transparency that no amount of label redesign can replicate.
What’s on the Shelf
Category by category: what Bi-Rite carries instead
These are the Traced-relevant categories where Bi-Rite’s curation creates a meaningful alternative to the brands in our investigations.
Ice Cream — vs. Halo Top (Wells Enterprises)
Bi-Rite Creamery + Salt & Straw
Bi-Rite’s own creamery uses local dairy and seasonal flavors with published sourcing. Salt & Straw is independent, founder-owned, farm-direct dairy partnerships published.
Neither is a PE-owned wellness brand using novel sweeteners without updated safety disclosures.
Chocolate — vs. Hershey / Mondelez
Dandelion + TCHO + independent bean-to-bar
Bi-Rite curates bean-to-bar chocolate with farm-traceable sourcing. Dandelion (nearby) is available here and in their own shop. No Hershey family products.
Direct-trade origin sourcing vs. commodity pool with compound coating substitution.
Pasta — vs. Annie’s (General Mills)
Independent pasta brands + local makers
Staff curates independent pasta brands. Pasta Supply Co. (nearby) products available seasonally. No General Mills-parent brands on the pasta shelf per staff sourcing policy.
Founder-controlled sourcing vs. conglomerate procurement team decisions.
Supplements — vs. Nestlé Health Science portfolio
Independent wellness brands, B Corp-verified
Bi-Rite evaluates supplement brands by sourcing transparency and ownership. Vital Proteins (Nestlé) is not on the shelf. Independent brands with published COAs are preferred.
Sourcing standard over shelf deal. No Nestlé Health Science portfolio presence.
Ownership & Structure
What family-owned and B Corp actually means
✓ Verified — public records
Mogannam family-owned since 1964, no outside equity
Sam Mogannam (current owner) and family. No private equity investment, no institutional ownership, no acquisition on record. Traced found no public filings indicating outside ownership.
biritemarket.com/about →★ B Corp certified since 2010
Among the first grocery retailers to certify
B Corp certification covers governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. For a grocery retailer, the customer score includes curation policy and sourcing transparency. Recertified on schedule.
B Corp database →✓ Verified — policy documentation
No national distributor mandates on shelf placement
Bi-Rite does not participate in national distributor slotting fee arrangements that dictate what must be on the shelf. Staff curate by sourcing standard, not by distributor relationships. Verified with store staff February 2026.
✓ Community investment documented
1% of revenue donated to SF food access organizations
Bi-Rite 18 Reasons and related food access programs receive 1% of Bi-Rite revenue. Published annually. Creates structural accountability to neighborhood, not to shareholders.
Community report →
Hours & Locations
Find them
18th St (Main)
Daily 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
3639 18th St, Mission District
Divisadero
Daily 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
550 Divisadero St, NoPa
Bi-Rite Creamery
Sun–Thu 11am–9pm · Fri–Sat 11am–10pm
3692 18th St (across from market)
Online ordering
biritemarket.com
SF delivery available