Nespresso plans upscale S.F. coffee bar San Francisco Chronicle Copyright 2012 San Francisco Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Published 1:22 p.m., Thursday, November 15, 2012 Stocked with espresso machines ranging in price from $129 to $2,500 and walls full of single-serve coffee capsules, the first West Coast Nespresso store is scheduled to open this month at Grant Avenue and Geary Street. "The U.S. has become very discerning in its taste for coffee, and San Francisco, one of the top culinary markets, is a natural fit," said Frederic Levy, president of Nespresso USA, a subsidiary of Swiss food and beverage giant Nestlé. Yes, Levy acknowledged, it's stolen from the wine industry and is meant to highlight the source and quality of the beans used in its 16 varieties of coffee, among them Kona Special Reserve - $2 per capsule- and how they might be paired with specific foods. Coffee pairingsYou can test Nespresso's pairings with items from the food menu, ranging from roasted sunchoke soup and slow-cooked Sonoma hen egg to braised short rib sliders and olive oil poached shrimp salad. Nespresso club members (every machine purchase comes with a membership and a complimentary box of capsules) can use their member's bag and club card at a self-checkout station in a separate room, with a "coffee specialist" on hand for consultation.