Smoke Signals San Francisco: Fadi Berbery’s independent newsstand on Polk Street

From Beirut to San Francisco, Fadi Berbery founded Smoke Signals in 1995, a European-style newsstand offering international magazines, independent titles and curated print culture on Polk Street

Prior to rooting himself in San Francisco, Fadi Berbery had spent time in Africa, including Liberia. His stay there ended due to civil unrest, prompting him to leave and relocate to San Francisco. What began as a temporary visit became permanent, drawn by the climate and urban setting. When he first immigrated to the United States in 1990, he worked within a tobacco company to sustain himself. His tenure lasted several years, ending with the company’s bankruptcy.

Smoke Signals San Francisco: a European-style newsstand on Polk Street

This led him to conceive a communal newsstand in the Russian Hill area: Smoke Signals. Located at 2223 Polk Street, the space extends deep into a narrow retail lot embedded within the building. Inside, white tiles and dense shelving structures host approximately two thousand magazines at any given time, alongside a range of printed materials.

«While I was working across several occupations at the time in the United States, I realized that there was a significant lack of European-style newsstands across the country. I felt that the area could benefit from having an establishment like Smoke Signals». Berbery reflects on the newsstands of Beirut during his youth, as well as kiosks across the United Kingdom and Italy, which informed his approach. Smoke Signals was conceived as a direct translation of that model into the San Francisco context.

Smoke Signals history and name origin: Lucky Luke reference

Founded in 1995, the store remains independently operated by Berbery. The name derives from a French comic book he read during childhood. «The name ‘Smoke Signals’ came from Lucky Luke, a comic book I had read as a child. I still read them today». The reference draws from narratives of Native American communication through smoke signals, which Berbery associates with the role of print media as a system of information exchange.

Magazine selection and print culture approach at Smoke Signals

The connection between this early reference and his interest in print culture informed the naming of the store. «In French, the word for smoke signals is signaux de fumée. The idea of communicating through smoke signals is how I see newspapers and magazines — tools to share and disseminate information».

The interior is structured around a black-and-white palette, an explicit reference to print media, particularly newspapers. This visual language extends into the identity of Smoke Signals. As a distributor of magazines and newspapers, Berbery has shaped the store to respond to the demands of the Russian Hill area and the broader San Francisco readership.

Over time, the catalogue has been expanded through direct sourcing and relationships with international distributors. «I refuse to turn away customers who come into the store looking for titles, even if it is hard to find». This approach has defined the growth of the archive over three decades.

Located within a mixed residential and commercial area, Smoke Signals remains accessible to a consistent local clientele while also attracting visitors. Russian Hill continues to be characterized by restaurants, cafés and independent retail, contributing to the store’s foot traffic. The shop’s specificity — international magazines across languages and disciplines, alongside newspapers and tobacco products — has positioned it as a point of interest beyond the immediate neighborhood.

Distribution network and independent magazine curation

Beyond direct retail, Smoke Signals supplies magazines to local businesses, including salons and offices. Inside the store, publications are organized geographically and by subject. European titles occupy a significant portion of the inventory, subdivided by category, including architecture and fashion.

The selection includes international publications such as i-D, Dazed and Lampoon Magazine, alongside locally produced titles like San Francisco Magazine, The San Franciscan, YOLO Journal and Faire. Berbery remains directly involved in curating the assortment, with a focus on independent and lesser-known publications. His position is to maintain a balance between established titles and emerging print projects.

«Accepting recommendations from customers is a practice that I follow through in Smoke Signals. I then go through these magazines to get a feel and understand their contents».

Compared to earlier years, the availability of international newspapers has been reduced, reflecting structural changes in global print distribution and logistics. Magazine distribution, while stabilized, continues to require direct coordination with suppliers.

Smoke Signals continues to work with tobacco distributors, offering European cigars, cigarettes and related accessories. Environmental practices remain integrated into operations through local recycling programs.

The business maintains a steady customer base supported by local residents and repeat visitors. The approach remains incremental, adapting to shifts in print culture and retail demand.

Opening hours remain daily, from 8 AM to 5 PM.

Smoke Signals
2223 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109, United States