San Francisco Magazine
San Francisco Magazine is the Bay Area edition of the Modern Luxury national media network, publishing print and digital luxury lifestyle editorial content for affluent consumers while serving as an advertising platform for premium brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What San Francisco Magazine does
San Francisco Magazine is the Bay Area edition of Modern Luxury, a privately-held national luxury media network operating across more than 20 U.S. cities. Founded in 2000, the publication produces print and digital editorial content covering style, beauty & wellness, interiors, food & drink, travel, living, and shopping for affluent Bay Area consumers, while simultaneously serving as an advertising platform connecting luxury brands with high-net-worth audiences. The core product is the magazine itself, available in print subscription, through a digital edition hosted on the shared digital.modernluxury.com viewer platform, and via a content website at sanfran.com. Editorial franchises include the annual "Best of the Bay" awards, now in its 25th year.
The business model is dual-track. On the B2C side, the company generates recurring subscription revenue from print and digital edition readers. On the B2B side, it sells display advertising, sponsored content, and native advertising placements to luxury brands seeking access to the Bay Area's affluent consumer base. Distribution spans print, the shared Modern Luxury digital edition platform, the magazine's own website, and email newsletters. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.
San Francisco Magazine is wholly owned by Modern Luxury, operates with 11-50 employees, and is based in San Francisco. As a city edition within a national network, it benefits from shared editorial, technology, and advertising sales infrastructure across sister publications in markets including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, and Silicon Valley. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, leadership changes, AI capabilities, or patent portfolio based on available source data.
San Francisco Magazine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- San Francisco Magazine
- Legal name
- San Francisco Magazine
- Website
- https://sanfran.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- San Francisco Magazine is the Bay Area edition of the Modern Luxury national media network, publishing print and digital luxury lifestyle editorial content for affluent consumers while serving as an advertising platform for premium brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
San Francisco Magazine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Lifestyle Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)
Keywords
Where San Francisco Magazine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
San Francisco Magazine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising Revenue: The magazine serves as a media platform connecting luxury brands with affluent audiences through display advertising, sponsored content, and native advertising within editorial sections covering style, beauty, interiors, food & drink, travel, living, and shopping.
- Print and Digital Subscriptions: Revenue generated from paid subscriptions to the print magazine and digital editions. The website offers 'Subscribe to Print' and digital edition access through digital.modernluxury.com.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
San Francisco Magazine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
San Francisco Magazine publishes a print magazine, digital edition, and editorial website delivering curated luxury lifestyle content covering Style, Beauty & Wellness, Interiors, Food & Drink, Travel, Living, and Shopping for the San Francisco Bay Area. The publication sells subscriptions to consumers and advertising placements to luxury brands seeking access to affluent local audiences.
Product overview
San Francisco Magazine is a city edition within the Modern Luxury national luxury media network. The publication operates as a unified digital magazine platform offering content across lifestyle categories including Style, Beauty & Wellness, Interiors, Food & Drink, Travel, Living, and Shopping. The primary product offering is the San Francisco Magazine Digital Edition, which provides readers access to the publication's editorial content through an online digital reader platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Best of the Bay: Annual awards and editorial feature recognizing the best local businesses, restaurants, and lifestyle offerings in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Products and services
- San Francisco Magazine Digital Edition Digital version of the print magazine accessible online via the Modern Luxury digital platform, allowing readers to view current and archived issues across desktop and mobile devices.
- San Francisco Magazine Print Edition Print magazine covering luxury lifestyle content for the Bay Area, distributed via subscriptions and select newsstands, with editorial coverage of style, beauty, wellness, interiors, food and drink, travel, living, and shopping.
- Best of the Bay Annual Editorial Franchise Annual editorial franchise and awards publication recognizing top Bay Area businesses, restaurants, and lifestyle offerings, presented to consumers as a curated best-of guide.
Companies that use San Francisco Magazine
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
San Francisco Magazine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
San Francisco Magazine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
San Francisco Magazine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Eater: Digital-first food and restaurant media brand covering dining scenes in major U.S. cities including San Francisco. Overlaps with San Francisco Magazine's 'Food & Drink' content category and competes for dining-related advertiser spend, though with a digital-native model rather than print roots.
Direct peers
- Town & Country: Established luxury lifestyle magazine covering high society, travel, style, and culture. Competes in the same luxury lifestyle content category and attracts overlapping luxury brand advertising, with stronger national reach than a regional city edition.
- Robb Report: National luxury lifestyle media brand covering travel, dining, style, real estate, and collectibles for ultra-high-net-worth readers. Competes directly for luxury brand advertising dollars and affluent reader attention with overlapping content verticals.
- New York Magazine: Flagship city-focused lifestyle and culture magazine with strong digital presence, covering dining, style, politics, and lifestyle for affluent New York readers. Comparable business model of subscription, advertising, and event revenue targeting a major U.S. metro's high-income audience.
- Architectural Digest: Premium shelter and lifestyle publication covering design, architecture, and luxury interiors, with strong overlap in the 'Interiors' content vertical that San Francisco Magazine publishes. Direct competitor for interiors-category advertisers and affluent reader attention.
- Time Out: Global city-focused media brand covering dining, nightlife, culture, and travel across major metros including San Francisco. Comparable city-centric content model and local audience monetization through advertising and events.
- Departures Magazine: Luxury lifestyle publication covering travel, dining, fashion, and culture for affluent audiences, historically tied to the American Express cardholder base. Directly comparable in target reader profile and luxury advertiser appeal.
- Modern Luxury (parent network): San Francisco Magazine is a city edition within Modern Luxury's national network. Modern Luxury operates 20+ city-specific luxury lifestyle publications using the same business model, content categories, and advertising platform, making it the most directly comparable entity — though it is also the parent company.
- Los Angeles Magazine: Regional city-focused lifestyle magazine covering dining, entertainment, style, and culture in the Los Angeles market. Operates under a similar print + digital + advertising model targeting affluent metro consumers, directly comparable to San Francisco Magazine's positioning in the Bay Area.
Broad incumbents
- Condé Nast Traveler: Established national luxury travel publication under Condé Nast, covering travel destinations and lifestyle for affluent readers. Overlaps with San Francisco Magazine's 'Travel' vertical and competes for the same luxury travel advertiser category at a national scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
San Francisco Magazine social profiles
Digital presenceSan Francisco Magazine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
San Francisco Magazine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
San Francisco Magazine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
San Francisco Magazine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Magazine
What does San Francisco Magazine do?
San Francisco Magazine publishes a print magazine, digital edition, and editorial website delivering curated luxury lifestyle content covering Style, Beauty & Wellness, Interiors, Food & Drink, Travel, Living, and Shopping for the San Francisco Bay Area. The publication sells subscriptions to consumers and advertising placements to luxury brands seeking access to affluent local audiences.
Is San Francisco Magazine a public or private company?
San Francisco Magazine is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was San Francisco Magazine founded?
San Francisco Magazine was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is San Francisco Magazine based?
San Francisco Magazine is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does San Francisco Magazine make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising Revenue is the primary driver. The others are print and Digital Subscriptions.
Who are San Francisco Magazine's main competitors?
Eater is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Town & Country, Robb Report, New York Magazine, Architectural Digest, Time Out, Departures Magazine, Modern Luxury (parent network) and Los Angeles Magazine. Condé Nast Traveler is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does San Francisco Magazine have an API?
No public API is recorded for San Francisco Magazine.
What industry is San Francisco Magazine in?
San Francisco Magazine's product category is Luxury Lifestyle Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAA, Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAEAH, Travel & Outdoors Magazines. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.