Stand with Nick, Julian & Mercury Cafe in Mira's Memory

We are organizing to help our dear friends Nick & Julian Parker of Mercury Cafe as they recover from a death within their family. Nick brings an energy, passion, and commitment to the small business community that has inspired us for as long as we’ve known him.

Nick’s wife, Mira, co-founder of Mercury Cafe, passed away in October after a long struggle with cancer.

Mira’s passing has been devastating for Nick and Julian. Beyond the loss of their wife/mother, they’re now dealing with expenses. If you’re in San Francisco, you know that the economic climate post-pandemic has been incredibly difficult for many small neighborhood businesses like Mercury Cafe.

Mira and Nick met at a labor meeting in 1994, and fell in love soon after, driven by their shared commitment to social justice and worker’s rights. By 2009 they had settled in San Francisco and, the day after their son Julian’s 4th birthday, they opened Mercury Cafe.

Mercury Cafe is a beloved San Francisco institution where people have gathered, eaten, shared coffee, and made memories for the last 15 years. Mira’s energy was the life-force that ran through the cafe- her evolving array of flowers, plants, books and art made Mercury the place we love.

In 2017, Mira was diagnosed with cancer. Despite being given a short-term prognosis by doctors, she lived fully for 7 more years, tending to the cafe, sharing a life with Nick, and raising their son Julian. This summer her condition worsened, and she passed away peacefully.

We are raising money to help Nick and Julian get on their feet in the wake of Mira’s passing, and to help Mercury push through this difficult time as well. If it is within your power, please consider a donation, as well as a visit to Mercury in the future.

We love Nick, Julian, and Mercury Cafe, and it’s crucial that we rally to support them in this incredibly trying time.