Mohammed Hamdan, owner of Cracked & Battered restaurant in Potrero Hill, said he hosts the suhoor during Ramadan “for the community ... this reflects who we are and our culture.”
Patrons sit for a meal at Cracked & Battered in Potrero Hill, a San Francisco brunch staple that doubles as a community hub for The City’s Muslims during Ramadan. The restaurant offers a space to share the predawn meal consumed before fasting begins.
Mohammed Hamdan, owner of Cracked & Battered restaurant in Potrero Hill, said he hosts the suhoor during Ramadan “for the community ... this reflects who we are and our culture.”
At the corner of 18th and Connecticut streets in Potrero Hill is the original location of Cracked & Battered, a Palestinian family-owned restaurant that has been delighting San Francisco with its signature fried chicken and waffles and lemon-ricotta pancakes since 2018.
But during Ramadan, it transforms into a community hub, providing a sense of home and belonging for The City’s Muslims.
“This reflects who we are and our culture,” said Mohammed Hamdan, the restaurant’s owner. “People pray, stay up late until suhoor, and decorate with lights. It’s the best time of the year ... The goal is to bring a piece of our culture here.”
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is a time of profound spiritual significance for Muslims, marked by 30 days of fasting from dawn until sunset. The month spans March 10 to April 9 on the Gregorian calendar this year. In the San Francisco Bay Area, roughly 250,000 Muslims observe Ramadan.
To Muslims everywhere, Ramadan is synonymous with spending time with family and loved ones — but for young professionals in San Francisco, the holy month brings a mix of solemnity and desire to find communal warmth.
“I try not to spend all of Ramadan in the Bay Area,” said Noha Noweir, a consultant who said she has experienced the loneliness of observing the holy month away from home. Over the past five years, she said, she’s spent only two Ramadans in San Francisco and three with loved ones in Atlanta and Egypt.
“For me, Ramadan is about a sense of family,” she said.
On any given weekend, the line at Cracked & Battered stretches long, with waits extending up to an hour. While the restaurant typically closes at 2 p.m., a visit during the late hours of Ramadan reveals a different scene: about 200 people gathering for suhoor, the predawn meal consumed before fasting begins.
The idea of organizing suhoor for the Muslim community began two years ago. Hamdan says he sought to create a space to unite his neighbors.
“We do it for the community,” he said. “It’s not about the money.”
Typically, Cracked & Battered serves around 200 people simultaneously for suhoor, a considerable undertaking.
“Indeed, it’s challenging,” said Ayah Hamdan, Mohammed’s daughter. “I work a full-time job, as do my brother and fiance. We’re working from 8 [a.m.] to 5 [p.m.], fasting all day. My dad covers the brunch shift, then we all return at night, working together to ensure that 200 people are happy and getting the food they want.”
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The local Muslim community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing gratitude for the initiative and effort. Mohammed said community members frequently thank him for hosting the suhoor and are always asking for more. Ayah said her friends have told her it’s where they’ve made new friends and sparked romantic relationships.
“It’s become like a halal dating spot,” she said.
Having a place to gather with fellow Muslims is a plus, said Inès Mezerreg, an Algerian engineer who said she’s spent six Ramadans in San Francisco. She attended Cracked & Battered’s suhoor last year, which allowed her to meet other young people.
“We don’t always have our families with us,” she said. “It can be lonely, so it’s good to have those opportunities to meet people from our community.”
Patrons sit for a meal at Cracked & Battered in Potrero Hill, a San Francisco brunch staple that doubles as a community hub for The City’s Muslims during Ramadan. The restaurant offers a space to share the predawn meal consumed before fasting begins.
Craig Lee/The Examiner
This year, Mohammed said, he plans to host the suhoor in collaboration with the Yaseen Foundation, the Muslim community association of the San Francisco Peninsula, at its Belmont center — and, he said, he will cover all the expenses himself.
“It’s never been about making money,” he said. “I don’t want to do it the business way. I don’t want to be making money out of religion. I don’t like that.”
During Ramadan, the Yaseen Foundation hosts Qiyam al-Layl, a special form of Islamic prayer performed at night. Though not obligatory, this prayer is highly recommended, especially during the last 10 days of Ramadan, for its spiritual benefits. Following the prayer, attendees often stay, reciting the Quran until it’s time for suhoor at around 1 a.m., which is when Mohammed will serve the food he and his family prepared at Cracked & Battered.
Despite the effort and exhaustion involved in planning a suhoor on this scale, Mohammed has shown he’s not stopping anytime soon.
“I’ve told my dad let’s not do it anymore, but he always pushes back,” Ayah said. “He’ll always tell me it’s not about the money. He just wants to be there for Muslims.”
Mohammed said creating a space for his culture and community is crucial.
“America is a melting pot of culture. How come our culture isn’t here?” he said. “We can’t live in America and not exist. This is good for our children in the future and who we are, and America is welcoming of that.”
