Something New at New Potrero Market

Like many other Potrero Hill residents, life began elsewhere for Nader Hanhan and his wife, Summer. She was just five years old when her family emigrated from Palestine in the late-1960s. Nader arrived a decade later, after finishing high school, sights set on securing a higher education.

Their families knew each other back home. Their acquaintance changed to romance on the City College campus. Marriage followed soon after.

Nader worked at a grocery store his brothers owned, then got into the clothing business with Summer. They started with a store on Broadway Street in Oakland, eventually expanding to 10 locations, including an Oxford Street outlet at the now-closed Hilltop Mall in Richmond. He was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley as an engineering major, but management issues at the Richmond store forced him to take time off from school. His return was further delayed by the need to provide for his growing family, with three children. He eventually committed to running the business full time.

“I had to do it,” Nader said wistfully. “But I promised myself to educate my kids.” 

And he did. All three are college graduates, working in their chosen fields. 

“One is now a computer engineer, one is a graphic designer, and the other is a physical therapist,” he said.

Nader eventually shifted back to the grocery business, purchasing a shop on Haight Street in 1995, acquiring New Potrero Market in 1996 from fellow Palestinian immigrants Jamil Khuri and Abdallah Shami, who’d been running the place since 1960. In 2010, the Hanhans sold the Haight Street store and committed full time to the corner of 18th and Texas streets.

They weathered the challenges of the pandemic. Rising costs created the need for an additional revenue stream. Two years ago, they decided to convert part of the market into a deli, offering sandwiches to customers who may not have time for a full-service sit-down meal offered by nearby locations such as Plow or Chez Maman. With no one in the area serving the sort of food they grew up with, they added gyros and shawarma alongside kaiser rolls and cold cuts to the menu.

They’ve been steadily pursuing their quest to turn the deli dream into reality, with more than a few bumps in the road along the way. The expanded operation needed more electrical power. Getting Pacific Gas and Electric Company approval to upgrade the store to 200 amps took nearly a year. The original December 2025 installation date was cancelled due to weather; additional scheduling conflicts delayed it a fewer three months.

In the interim, Nader hired Shatara Architecture to design the remodel and set to work, repainting the store’s interior before moving shelves and coolers to make room for the deli. Besides cosmetic changes, they’ve partnered with Toast for point-of-sale systems and equipment, installed a new hot water heater, new sinks, new coolers, a ductless hood over the cooking area, and an ANSUL fire suppression system.

Nader said his total investment in the project so far is more than $200,000.

“It’s a lot,” he admitted, but both he and Summer hope that their unique offerings will enable the corner market to thrive, starting with a soft reopening this month.