Pizza lovers in North Beach now have pizza box-shaped trash cans to dump their boxes in.

State of play: Waste management provider Recology San Francisco and the city's Department of Public Works installed two of the specialized receptacles last week to keep people from jamming empty pizza boxes into existing bins or leaving them in the street.

Between the lines: The two new custom trash cans sit on both ends of Stockton Street between Filbert and Union streets by Washington Square and feature wide slots that can accommodate most boxes without bending or stuffing.

• The park is only a few steps away from popular pizzerias like Tony's Pizza Napoletana, Golden Boy and Flour & Water, making it an ideal test case since it's a hotspot for takeout meals and picnics.
• Similar pizza box bins were piloted in New York City's Central Park in 2024 and later adopted citywide.

The intrigue: The specialty bins, designed by San Francisco illustrator Sirron Norris, feature eye-catching, colorful artwork with illustrations of North Beach landmarks, Italian iconography and a greasy pizza box.

By the numbers: The pizza box bins cost the city about $3,500 to install, per Department of Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon.

What's next: More bins could be added in the neighborhood or citywide based on how often they're used and how much litter they prevent.

Tell a pizza-loving litterbug

Some of California's most prominent venture capitalists are quick to slam their state, arguing that fiscal mismanagement and high taxes will cause startups to form elsewhere.

• So far that doesn't seem to be happening.

California startups raised a whopping 62% of all U.S. venture capital dollars in 2025, per the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor.

• That's above either 2024 (54.2%) or 2023 (46.9%), and even the decade-earlier mark of 47.2%.

Some of that is skewed by giant raises for AI giants like OpenAI, Anthropic and Databricks.

• But California easily retains its lead when looking at the number of startups funded, regardless of round size.
• The state is home to 31.5% of U.S. VC deals last year, compared to 31.7% in 2024 and 29.1% in 2023. In 2015, California's market share was 32.5%.
• For context, the runner-up in 2025 was New York with 13.3%.

The bottom line: California's crown may be tarnished on social media. On spreadsheets, however, it still sparkles.

Tell your VC buddy

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👕 The San Francisco Zoo has been inundated with orders for a t-shirt sold at its gift shop after K-pop group Twice took a photo in it while visiting earlier this month. (KRON 4)

💸 Mayor Daniel Lurie has appointed Cynthia Wong, head of strategy and operations at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, to oversee efforts to raise private funds for city programs as San Francisco's first director of strategic partnerships. (Mission Local)

🍎 San Francisco's teachers union, currently negotiating raises with the district, are prepared to strike for the first time in 47 years if talks fall through. (SF Standard)

📰 The New York Post tabloid has launched The California Poast, its West Coast counterpart. (Associated Press)

Making Tuesdays more memorable could keep the rest of the week from dragging.

The big picture: It's probably Tuesday if you don't remember what day it is.

• Aside from Fat Tuesday and Election Day, "Tuesday has no feel," as Newman once put it on "Seinfeld." It's when a number of restaurants and museums are closed.
• Meanwhile, Mondays are feared most. Wednesdays are the hump. Thursdays are almost Friday. Fridays we're most thankful for. And then there's the weekend. Tuesdays get lost.

The good news: Tuesday's lack of personality means you can make it what you want.

👉 Try this: On this Tuesday-est of Tuesdays, consider giving the day its own ritual that you look forward to, such as:

🌮 Do something food-focused: Think Taco Tuesday or a designated family dinner night.

🏋️‍♀️ Turn Tuesdays into move days: After all, it's the most popular day of the week to sweat, per ClassPass data.

🧠 Make it your cerebral day: Be open to new ideas and deep conversation, à la Mitch Albom's weekly professor chats that became "Tuesdays With Morrie."

Beauty Bar, one of San Francisco's wildest nightlife fixtures, has made a comeback with a bold, new and more sophisticated look.

The watering hole on Mission Street reopened this month with a completely renovated interior, new cocktail menu (all priced at a reasonable $14) and a vibe that's a little less chaos and a little more class.

• The new owner Jahaziel Garay celebrated the opening late last week with a mariachi ensemble, an abundance of generously-poured drinks and a lively crowd.

Flashback: When it first opened as part of a chain in the late 1990s, patrons could sip on a stiff martini while getting a manicure in a retro, bubblegum pink beauty parlor–meets–dive bar setting.

• Over the years it evolved into a party hub, and its anything-goes spirit helped the bar sustain a loyal following until its sudden closure in 2024 after a 25-year run, a chapter that only adds to the lore surrounding its revival.

💭 My thought bubble: The Ombre, a refreshing margarita-like tequila drink with pineapple and Tajín, was a hit.

If you go: Open 2pm- 2am daily at 2299 Mission St.