Third Wheel Coffee

Third Wheel Coffee is a San Francisco-born specialty coffee bar founded by two San Francisco natives, Vida Sharp and Tom Emanuel, who started the business as college students with a vision of creating a community-centered “third place” — a space beyond home and work where people can connect. After an ambitious but short-lived attempt to operate an electric espresso tricycle on the city’s steep hills, they built a portable coffee cart from a repurposed liquor cabinet and grew the business through pop-ups and private events before landing a permanent home inside Lucinda’s Deli at 535 Scott Street, near Alamo Square. Today, Third Wheel serves specialty coffee and tea — featuring locally roasted Bird and Bear Coffee and Samovar teas, alongside fresh pastries from Bernal Bakery and Saltwater Bakeshop — and also offers a mobile espresso bar for private and corporate events across the Bay Area.