We are creating a heart-centered teahouse in the spirit of The Center SF

As some of you may have heard, The Center SF closed its doors on June 22, 2025. For over a decade, The Center existed as more than just a teahouse–it was a sanctuary where heart-centered community came together over tea, yoga, events, workshops, ecstatic dance, and more to create something magical. Above all, it was a community hub, one of the few genuine third spaces in San Francisco that welcomed everyone with open arms. Through its doors, hundreds of people found their friends, found themselves, and found home. 

We — the staff and volunteers that made up the community of The Center — are starting a new organization to nurture the community that lives on through all of us. Over the coming months, we'll be searching for a mixed-use space where we can once again offer tea, yoga, and events—carrying forward everything that made The Center so profoundly special. With this as our north star, we are co-creating a vibrant community space guided by the following core values: 

1. Community-first: We see ourselves as humble stewards of the Gather SF community. While we're committed to providing a stable foundation for our collective growth, we honor that community takes form organically. We're establishing a nonprofit structure to ensure this space can serve as our home for many years to come.

2. Open access: San Francisco has wonderful membership-only spaces and social clubs, but The Center's rare gift was keeping its doors open to everyone. We're committed to maintaining our new space as a welcoming sanctuary where all are truly welcome.

3. A haven for mindfulness, wellness, and spiritual growth: For countless people, The Center was their first doorway into a life centered on connection and human flourishing. Tea ceremonies, yoga practice, and the transformative events we will offer in our space are all pathways to connecting with this more conscious way of living.

While our hearts ache that this chapter of The Center has come to an end, we're deeply inspired by how our community has come together in recent weeks to create Gather Collective. We feel deeply that San Francisco needs—and wants—a third space like this. We're channeling all of our love and energy into creating a structure that can sustain us and our community's home for generations.

Everything is in the early stages, and this dream won't become a reality without your active support. If you feel called to be part of what we're creating, now is the perfect time to step forward! Your contribution—whatever form it takes—could be exactly what helps this unique piece of San Francisco's heart continue beating. 

With love and gratitude,

Alex, Cara, Derek, and the Gather SF community