First things first: at Buyer's Best Friend, you can try everything in the store. And who doesn't love free samples? Of course this means that Buyer's Best Friend founders Adam Sah and Joyce Guan, Marketing Director Conor Lee, and I had an intensive sampling sesh, which was not at all hampered by my vegan-ness. Instead, Buyer's Best Friend conquered my dietary restrictions with a smorgasbord of vegan offerings. Turns out they cater specifically to vegan and gluten-free folk (which is a breath of fresh air amidst traditional foodie culture, to be frank). Bring out the dairy-free caramels and I'm sold, but the sample party continued with intriguing edibles like ghost chili chocolate (allegedly the hottest chili pepper in the world!), artisan balsamic vinegar, and key lime hot sauce. 

Buyer's Best Friend isn't just a shop full of artisan eats, though. They originally emerged as an online specialty wholesaler that supplies the goods for markets and health food shops across the country – from grocery giants like Whole Foods to local Bi-Rite Market. They opened the Upper Haight haunt as a means of getting their products out to loyal customers directly.