By Christin Evans, HANC Board
Before the pandemic started Haight Street was already at a record high 21 storefront vacancies. Rising costs including skyrocketing rents, payroll and other costs coincided with 4 years of disruptive street construction making it a tough go for many shopkeepers. Notable closures in that time included the 40 year old Haight Ashbury Music Center, Carlos’ Shoe Repair, and Kids Only.
So when the pandemic forced doors closed and the plywood went up, there was a period when it looked like many more Haight businesses wouldn’t survive. By March 2021, a year from the first shelter-in-place order, there were 32 storefront vacancies (about a fifth of the storefronts between Stanyan and Central). Many of the pandemic closures were clothing stores such as Haight Ashbury T-Shirts, Static and Crossroads Trading Company, which struggled to meet rent obligations with a significant drop in sales.
But as local retail is inching out of its pandemic funk, and restaurants and bars are expanding service, vacant storefronts are beginning to fill in. Here are some notable new businesses:
- The Mellow, 1401 Haight, a hip shop with a variety of house plants and their accoutrements. This is the second location after their first one opened in 2020 in the Mission.
- Brioche Cafe, 1640 Haight, this North Beach bakery and cafe has leased the spot previously occupied by Sparrow Restaurant which features a large backyard patio. They serve baked goods and cafe fare, including salads and sandwiches.
- Psychedelic Art Gallery, 1399 Haight, a mural is going up on the walls outside this visible location at the corner of Haight & Masonic. Sure to appeal to tourists and locals alike.
The many vacancies have also led several long-term Haight businesses to look for opportunities to expand their footprint. Shops which have expanded include:
- Gus’s Community Market, 1540 Haight, longtime residents celebrated to see Gus’ family market thriving and expanding into its 3rd storefront adjacent to the current location. Renovations are planned for the space which previously operated as the Haight Ashbury Music center for four decades so the expansion is unlikely to be completed until 2022.
- Buffalo Exchange, 1553 Haight, the second-hand clothing store has expanded into the space previously occupied by shoe store Anthem. With the new space, they’ve created a buyers counter for folks seeking to sell or trade items.
- Indigo Vintage, 1645 Haight, the Berkeley-based cooperative opened at the corner of Haight & Belvedere in 2019. They’ve expanded into the storefront adjacent which was previously occupied by Teckspeen cell phone repair shop.
Also to note: Second Act Clothing has started construction at its location 1560 Haight, formerly occupied by Braindrops and Diamond Supply Company. The pandemic delayed the Japanese retailers conditional use hearing but the company has since received the necessary permits to open its first San Francisco location later this year.
At the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council’s July meeting, we will host some of these shop owners for a meet and greet to learn more about their plans for their Haight Street locations.