Major retailers have pulled out of downtown San Francisco, and now some small business owners say they are considering doing so as well.
Crime, homelessness, and expensive rules and regulations from city hall all seem to be taking a toll.
Located in lower Nob Hill, Tacoria has earned a reputation as a hotspot for delicious Korean-Mexican fusion cuisine. But owner David Lee says he’s ready to throw in the towel.
“We’ll probably close the shop around December. We’re almost done,” he said.
His latest gripe with the city is new regulations on the parklets he built during the pandemic.
From SFMTA, he got a long list of requirements to apply to the post-pandemic code.
For years it was the lifeblood of his business, but this week he decided to get rid of it.
“I just decided to tear it down. said Lee.
Security camera video he shared shows people homeless inside the park as contractors tear it down piece by piece.
Mr. Lee said chronic problems such as drug use in uninhabited areas and neighborhood crime were all piling up.
Earlier this year, his store was broken into, and thieves stole the cash register and the iPad he used to take orders.
He received a $1,000 grant from the city for small business vandalism. But he said he’s reached his breaking point.
The San Francisco Small Business Administration said there are no firm figures on how many small businesses have closed in the city since the pandemic began.
But they say they have other subsidies that could help those stuck in the bubble. They also say it helps small businesses navigate the city’s bureaucracy.
Scuderia, a motorcycle and scooter shop, will move to the Mission District. However, the owners say they will move to a larger space in the Dogpatch district.
“A company called Brookfield Construction is renovating a lot of old steel mill buildings,” said owner Greg McCord. “So we’re embarking on what they completed first.”
McCord said the Mission District, where his shop has been in business for more than 30 years, still has problems with homeless people, drugs and some crime.
But he credits city hall for recent efforts to address these issues. He said he has seen improvement in the past six months.
He said he and his employees would be unable to fulfill this mission and hoped the city-wide improvement would continue.