We Asked San Franciscans

Local residents have (grumpily) grown accustomed to losing long-standing institutions due to high Bay Area living costs and development. However, the number of businesses that have closed during the Covid-19 shutdown is unprecedented for our time. I’m sure all of us have suffered the heavy blow of a favorite store or restaurant closing for good during this time.

For me, that came with the announcement of the permanent closure of Souplantation’s and Sweet Tomatoes’ 97 locations, including seven in the Bay, which sparked an immediate outpouring of online grief. Surprising to some considering the mediocre food, fans (myself included!) sang praises of the chain’s fair prices and plethora of all-American novelty — especially appealing to families on a budget and those who did not grow up eating tuna pasta salad and cream of potato soup at home. Then there was Zanze’s — the 42-year-old cheesecake-only bakery on San Francisco’s Ocean Avenue that my family patronized for special occasions. It was a childhood staple that I thought would always be around. There is still a possibility of frozen cheesecake distribution at local markets, but nothing is certain as of now. These are just two stories of many.

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The Golden Gate Restaurant Association estimates that up to 50% of San Francisco restaurants could close permanently during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many of them being small businesses. Eater San Francisco and the San Francisco Chronicle have working lists of Bay Area restaurant closures that are updated at alarmingly frequent intervals. And that’s not including the non-food establishments. Even corporate giants such as J.Crew, JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, Hertz, Pier 1, and GNC have filed for bankruptcy. It’s clear we’re only at the beginning of places closing up shop for good.

Worse yet, businesses owned by Asian Americans, Black people, other BIPOC groups, immigrants, and women have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus shutdowns. Lack of access to traditional channels of capital have hindered many of them from getting aid such as Paycheck Protection Program loans. But the Bay Area won’t go down without a fight. In response to many Asian-owned businesses experiencing racist-related downturns before shelter-in-place orders went into effect, the California Asian Chamber of Commerce launched a Business Triage Center especially for small businesses. San Francisco started the African American Small Business Revolving Loan Fund, and the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce Foundation created a Covid-19 Resiliency Relief Program. While the future success of these new programs is unknown, the scramble to preserve these mostly small businesses is of the utmost importance in retaining the spirit of the Bay.

Whether a small mom-and-pop business or a polarizing restaurant chain, denizens miss their places of gathering. We asked a few locals what shuttered businesses they will miss the most and why. The Bay Area is crying artisanal tears.

Liba Falafel, Oakland

Original truck to brick-and-mortar. They gave back to the community and they made a damn good pickle.
— Eric, Oakland

Liba’s original food truck came onto the street food scene pre-Off the Grid, gaining its place in Bay Area food truck pioneer history. Having made the jump to brick-and-mortar in 2014, the indoor set-up allowed for customers to garnish their locally sourced salads, grain bowls, and pitas with the likes of apple chutney and spiced pumpkin seeds. Owner Gail Lillian recently announced on Liba’s website that the last official day of the 11-year-old business was June 10. Having just paid off Liba’s debt last year, Lillian said she could not afford to go into debt again. However, she still maintains her cookie-decorating business, as well as a leadership and business consulting practice. Lillian’s lifelong dedication to volunteerism and community involvement means she will not be disappearing from the East Bay scene any time soon.

Toy Boat, Inner Richmond, San Francisco

Lots of memories there. Double Rainbow (hard to find) ice cream and looking around at the endless collection of toys, knickknacks, and collectibles. I always left with a favorite childhood candy, as well.
— LS, Oakland

Owners Jesse and Roberta Fink put the 38-year-old dessert café up for sale in early June. Long loved by kids and kids at heart, Toy Boat was a popular destination for families who could stretch the time at the corner café by sharing a mountainous banana split and looking at the numerous vintage toys — doubling the experience as a dessert and museum combo. Toy Boat was also popular with neighborhood teens who needed a place to hang out, but were too young to frequent Richmond bars such as Fizzee’s and Ireland’s 32. Fingers crossed that the business finds a new, caring owner who will carry on the whimsical legacy of the Fifth and Clement institution (toys and mechanical horse included!). We would hate to see a place that was named a legacy business go. The Finks part on an encouraging note that their landlords have always been supportive of the café.

It’s Tops, Duboce Triangle, San Francisco

It’s Tops was a go-to for late-night eats when I visited the city as a student, and it continued to be when I moved there. As I aged, it eventually became a breakfast spot for me when I was in the neighborhood. I loved the friendly staff, cozy atmosphere, and great food.
— Alex C., Berkeley

The triangle formed by the streets of Market, Octavia, and McCoppin encompasses a whole lot of San Francisco personality. It’s Tops anchored the corner starting in 1935, with its larger-than-life signage catching the eye of any passerby. And indeed, it was so eye-catching that the exterior of the shop was featured on television and in movies numerous times. Owned by the Chapman family since 1952, the interior was left untouched for decades. Stepping inside felt like a hug of nostalgia, with vinyl booths, tabletop jukeboxes, and counter seating retaining the authentic 1950s diner feel. The shop signs outside declaring “Awesome Hot Cakes” and “Voted Best Burger” never seemed to change. Open until 3 a.m., the diner was perfect stumbling distance from the Mint Karaoke Lounge and Martuni’s piano bar for late-night (or early-morning) eats. Next to Grooves Inspiralled Vinyl and across the street from the SF LGBT Center, It’s Tops and its surrounding businesses symbolized the old, new, and all very San Francisco history. The Bold Italic loved It’s Tops, too, with writer Sunny Chanel professing her love for the diner in her My Favorite Corner of SF piece just this April.

The exterior signs were removed in mid-June and there are no apparent heirs to the beloved coffee shop. Loyal fans of the diner hope that at least the signs will be preserved somewhere safe.

The Stud, SoMa, San Francisco

Many queer businesses are establishments serving a sometimes niche community. Losing any of them is a more significant blow because we need as many safe spaces and representations as available.
— Jenny P., Outer Sunset, San Francisco

Founded nearly 60 years ago, co-op bar The Stud survived and thrived as a safe space, network, and performance space through the AIDS crisis, two tech booms, a recession, and other unstable financial and cultural times. But in Covid-19, it seems, The Stud has met its match. An online funeral was held for San Francisco’s oldest gay bar on May 31. Since 1987, the bar had rocked the corner of Ninth and Harrison in SoMa, with popular events such as Hoe Is Life and T-Shack. It has been a haven for those who felt different from the white mainstream Castro gay community. It has been home base for many celebrity drag queens, such as RuPaul’s Drag Race star and Stud co-owner Honey Mahogany.

The institution has garnered support from San Francisco politicians for decades as well. Former Mayor Dianne Feinstein visited the bar during a reelection campaign in 1979. The area surrounding The Stud was officially deemed the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District by the city in 2018. State Sen. Scott Wiener and City Supervisor Matt Haney have been working on ways to save the bar and small businesses like it.

The 18-owner collective hopes to re-open The Stud at another location in the future. Interested parties can contribute to The Stud Bar Stabilization Fund and its Patreon, as well as tune into the weekly online drag shows every Saturday night to support relocation fundraising efforts.

Three Twins Ice Cream, various locations

I was saddened that Three Twins Ice Cream closed their business. Many years ago, I lived across the street from one of their first scoop shops in the Lower Haight and I remember their Dad’s Cardamom flavor was a revelation. Since then, they had been a reliable corner store staple. They’ll be missed!”
— Andria L., Berkeley

Local ice cream lovers were shocked when the ubiquitous Three Twins Ice Cream announced in mid-April that it would cease operations. Since the closure of its retail locations, grocery store sale profits were too low to keep the company afloat, as it was already suffering financially pre-coronavirus due to shrinking profit margins. It moved production to Wisconsin to try to cut costs in recent years, but the extra strain of Covid-19 closures drove founder Neal Gottlieb to his final decision sooner than expected.

Gottlieb started Three Twins as a single retail shop in 2005, with the vision of offering an organic ice cream that was affordable and gave to environmental conservation efforts. The company rapidly expanded to several retail shops, farmers market residencies, and grocery store freezer shelves. The company and its facilities are currently up for sale, though no tasty inventory will be included.

Tiny Needles, Japantown, San Francisco

I used to go there for community acupuncture several times a week and it brought me so much pain relief. I was sad to hear that they still had to close despite fundraising efforts. I feel like it’s a huge loss for people who relied on their services and also for the therapists who relied on that regular income.
— Courtney G., Noe Valley, San Francisco

Close-contact and high-touch services such as massage establishments are among the businesses on hold to reopen in San Francisco since the most recent spike of coronavirus cases. With that uncertainty looming ahead, it comes as no surprise that acupuncture establishment Tiny Needles announced that it had to close after 10 years of operation. On its homepage, the company listed both present and past acupuncturists’ contact information for clients to set up their own telehealth meetings, virtual sessions, or to share resources. It’s a last-ditch but sincere effort to continue supporting staff as they figure out next steps in an entire industry that’s unsure of its future.

Grocery Cafe, Jack London Square, Oakland; and Stork Club, Koreatown/Northgate, Oakland

Grocery Cafe was an authentic and unassuming Burmese restaurant that had great food. Better than Burmese Superstar IMHO. It was a great place to get a warm delicious meal on a quiet evening. And of course, Stork Club. That place was an icon. Divey, dirty, loud, weird, interesting, creative musical acts… that one’s a real loss to Oakland.
— Julia M., Oakland

While only open in Jack London Square for three years, fans of Burmese restaurant Grocery Cafe grew loyal quickly. With the recent popularity of Burmese food in the Bay Area, Grocery Cafe became a rising rival to the long-established Burma Superstar with the likes of its mango chutney pork stew and Burmese masala with potatoes. Arguably better food, and unarguably shorter lines. Owner William Lue previously owned Tender Loving Food in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. According to a Yelp reviewer who said he spoke with Lue in March, there are plans to open locations in San Francisco, Orinda, and Oakley.

The storied music venue Stork Club, with its unapologetically punk attitude, had a century-old history in Oakland. Considered a rite of passage for many Bay Area bands to play at Stork, local musicians have especially mourned the club in a time where up to 90% of independent music venues could close during Covid-19. In addition to the live music and flowing PBR, the ample outside space with its distinctive Jessica Rabbit mural made space for rule-bending shenanigans. It would be remiss not to note that anecdotes of overt racism and sexism at the hands of staff and management have swirled around the community for years. Many bands and customers had cherished times at Stork. Some did not.

There is talk of reopening Stork at a different location down the road.

Black Spring Coffee Company, Pill Hill, Oakland

The owner was so rad. Amazing staff.
— Rachael P., Oakland

In early April, Black Spring Coffee Company shared on its Facebook page that the landlord “had a different vision for the space that doesn’t involve us.” Customers remember the friendly atmosphere of the coffee shop that served up smiles from its opening in 2013. It was welcoming to the point of feeling like family, like being at home. Owner Ryan Stark roasted beans weekly to keep the coffee fresh, like the signature Malabar espresso. Vegan desserts were always an option. The walls featured local art. The shelves held handmade mugs. There was no Wi-Fi in favor of old-fashioned conversation and chess.

At the very least, Black Spring will continue to sell beans from its roastery online. Bizzy’s Dry Bar shares the same space for evening customers. There is no update yet as to whether it will reopen or not.

St. Francis Fountain, Mission District, San Francisco

As an SF native, I’ve been going to St. Francis Fountain for close to three decades. I’ll miss the cozy booths, excellent egg creams, and ideal diner menu. The staff was always friendly, speedy, and kind. Still hoping for a last-minute reprieve!
— Katherine M., West Portal, San Francisco

Another old-school diner bites the dust. Opened in 1918, St. Francis Fountain is considered San Francisco’s oldest ice cream parlor and diner, and eighth oldest restaurant overall. The distinctive red and green neon sign emanated warmth, and the tiled floors and counter seating inside enveloped every customer in old San Francisco. The menu was extensive, offering malted shakes and a cheeky Guinness float, as well as hearty brunch items like homemade corned beef hash and buttermilk hot cakes. The menu retained its diner feel, but also kept up with the times, more recently offering dishes of tofu scrambles, veggie burgers, and vegan chorizo.

While the restaurant’s homepage originally stated plans for reopening, owner Peter Hood has since decided to close, citing more pessimistic reasons beyond Covid-19. “Why even try in a city that has been actively driving small businesses out of business for over a decade?” he asked rhetorically in an email to SFGate. This closure comes despite the statement that the diner could ride out the pandemic, as well as it having been deemed another San Francisco legacy business.

Pietisserie, Lake Merritt, Oakland

Pietisserie’s brick-and-mortar shop (I just found out they have pivoted to an online shop, which is exciting). It’s a hole-in-the-wall with some truly amazing pies. I still think about their pecan pie. We don’t have too many restaurants or shops in this neighborhood so we were pretty grateful to have this place within walking distance. I’m sad to see them go.
— Laura D., Oakland

Owner Jaynelle St. Jean initially started Pietisserie in 2010 with giving away her elegant and playful pie slices out of her mother’s window. It was just a few years ago that she opened a retail location near Lake Merritt, offering flavorful takes such as grapefruit custard and yam-ginger-beet. In the relatively short time Pietisserie has been around, St. Jean’s popular pies have garnered attention from Food Network and Food & Wine magazine. News of Pietisserie’s retail closure in April was extra crushing knowing that it is a woman- and Black-owned restaurant in Oakland.

However, the good news is that Pietisserie will continue to offer pies for delivery and pop-up pickups all over the Bay Area, touting a July special of $25 sweet pies. The flavors range from a summery cherry to a savory beef pot pie.

Walzwerk, Mission District, San Francisco

Amazing, authentic German food with close-knit team. So unique and unlike any other restaurant in the city.
— Melanie N., San Francisco

Just among a handful of the Bay Area’s German restaurants, Walzwerk looked humble and almost hidden along traffic-heavy South Van Ness Avenue. Parking was hard, but the hearty food and welcoming atmosphere were worth it. Since 1999, Walzwerk served up German classics such as massive pork schnitzels and cheesy spaetzle. The beer list was decent, ranging from the popular Paulaner to the Diesel cocktail — a half-beer, half-cola mixture that tasted better than it sounded. East German trinkets and art made up the quirky, homey decor.

The closure comes a couple of years after the shuttering of sister restaurant Schmidt’s just a few blocks away on Folsom and 20th streets. Optimistic back then, co-owner Christiane Schmidt said to Mission Local, “One door closes and another one opens.” Now, Walzwerk’s farewell message on its website ends on a similar high note. “Change is good and we are ready!” the message proclaims. And on to the next chapter, whatever it may be.