41 posts tagged “closing”
A reported in my last column, Planetweavers is no more, and February 29 was their last day in their Castro Street location.
However, they are continuing the liquidation around the corner on 18th Street. The Planetweavers stock is now in the retail space across from Starbucks which has never had a long-term resident since its construction, as far as I can remember. (If I'm wrong, please someone remind me.)
This has been mentioned on a couple different blogs and restaurant review sites, but Gustofino, the Italian quick-service deli/grocer on Church Street which I profiled in my "Business Briefs" column in September of last year, has closed. The shop has been papered over for a while, but there were rumors that it was just being renovated but not closed.
I'm not sure what sort of business plan would justify a renovation after just 4 months in business, but hey, it's the Castro. Stranger things happen. Daily. But the phone number was disconnected and the email address was bouncing, so those were pretty good indicators.
I went by the location today and got official confirmation that Gustofino is no more. The new resident is going to be a bakery, and it's supposedly opening in "a couple weeks." I'll have more detail on this soon.
I did ask why the old shop closed and was told the classic story: lack of capital. "No drama -- they just ran out of money," is the direct quote.
That's rough. I know that the #1 reason for new businesses failing is undercapitalization, but still, Gustofino's owner, Matthew Rutledge, really seemed like he had done his homework. It's hard to believe that he could overestimate his cash flow that dramatically, and yet, the picture above pretty much tells the story.
Definitely sad to see this one close.
In quick succession, three businesses within shade-throwing distance of 18th and Castro have announced that they are calling it quits.
First, Planetweavers at 518 Castro is calling it quits after 17 years at this location. Details are coming in my "Business Briefs" column in tomorrow's (Feb. 14) Bay Area Reporter, but Under One Roof will be moving into Planetweavers' old space after this month.
It seems that Planetweavers' business went south after 9/11 and never recovered. The owner, Andreas Blachian, even went so far as to close his other store located in the Haight, hoping to consolidate his business in the Castro center. It didn't work.
When I asked him what the city could do to help small business owners (a question I ask of every small-bizinatrix that I speak with) he said that he felt the problem had more to do with the neighborhood itself. He wonders if the Castro is welcoming enough to people outside of the gay community, and whether straight shoppers and diners feel unwelcomed when they set foot in the 'hood. He notes that only about 1 or 2% of his Haight customers moved their business over to the Castro store, so something must have kept them away. It was interesting to hear that opinion, when I usually hearing people moaning about the Castro becoming less gay.
I'll post a link to the article after it is posted tomorrow.
Second, Castro Video has posted a letter announcing its upcoming closure in March. Castro Video has Planetweaver beat in the longevity department, apparently lending out its extensive collection of soft-core gay videos (really, did you have any idea that they made so many porn-lite videos, even today?) for over 20 years now.
It's sad to see this place go. This was always my preferred rental spot, specifically because of its extensive collection of soft-core gay videos. Just kidding! They had a great two-nights-for-one policy, and generally I liked the small-biz vibe here.
Finally, Ararat, the restaurant at 4072 18th Street, up on the second floor, is closing this week. Saturday night is their final night.
They hosted a thank-you party for the local community on Tuesday, and I got a chance to chat with the owner for a bit. It seems that business has been tough in that location for a while, and now the owner is looking to try again with a different restaurant somewhere else in the Castro. The second-floor location has to be a difficult factor, but having an empty storefront across the street plus Brandy Ho's construction going on so long didn't help, I'm sure.
The irony for me is that we just discovered Ararat a few months ago, and had started telling people how much we liked it, and how it was such an "undiscovered treasure" in the middle of the Castro. Well, we didn't tell enough people apparently, and the treasure was a little too undiscovered.
So long to all three businesses. For our struggling neighborhood business scene, this was a rough one-two-three punch. Good luck to all three business owners as they move on to their next ventures.
I promised the follow-up to my "Ch-ch-ch-changes" post a couple days ago, but I've actually been down with a Moulin-Rouge-level consumptive episode. Otherwise known as a "Man cold." But I'm back upright for the time being, so here are some more changing storefronts in the Castro right now:
- The North Beach Chinese Restaurant Brandy Ho's has finally uncovered its Castro storefront and is getting ready for its long-delayed opening.
Back when I talked with one of the owners, Jimmy Lam, for the B.A.R. piece, the opening was forecast for September but when I ran into him the other day he said that the new opening is set for early February. Considering that the reno was budgeted at about a million dollars (and having recently gone through a monster reno myself) it is understandable that there would be delays. Here's a photo that I took of Lam and the interior while it was still in process:The interior concept was supposed to be reminiscent on the inside of a wine barrel, with the wood structures behind Lam fitting into the corner of the ceiling, to give a gradual coving from the wall onto the ceiling. Peeking into the store now it seems that they have mostly stuck with that idea, and the interior looks sleek and Valentine's Day date-friendly.
- Scents-and-soaps dealer Bare Necessities on Castro has become another hair salon, Lisa's Hair Design. This picture was taken before work started on Milk-ifying the storefront, and now the awning is completely gone. I wonder if this will give them the opportunity and the capital to fix the name on the awning, or if they'll just leave it down.
The Lisa in the store's title is the same stylist who used to work around the corner at Nice Cuts. Bao Tonthat, who opened the chic Salon Baobao next to Mecca, also previously worked his shears at Nice Cuts, and I believe that the two of them were the most popular stylists there. This goes to show how competitive the hair market is in the Castro, but it's also a testament to how big the market has become that the 'hood can support so many salons. I have had co-workers who told me that they actually drive into the Castro just to get their hair cut.
- Clobba closed down their femme-focused store on Market Street at the end of last year.
I'm told that the owner of Sui Generis, the designer boutique on Church Street, has plans for the site, but I don't know yet if it is a move or a second store.
There have been a number of businesses changing hands and/or getting ready to open up recently, so here's a quick rundown:
- La Castro Taquerilla is boarded up and getting ready for a new occupant. If the job card is to be believed, an Indian restaurant is moving in, which would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood. We have a few Mexican places, but I believe that there is only the one Indian restaurant up on Market, Bombay Indian. I can't say that I'm too sad to see La Castro shut after just a year and a half. This space always had a lot of ventilation problems and the windows were perpetually covered with condensation, to the point that we always referred to it as "the sweaty taco shop." (As opposed to "the burrito laundry".) Admittedly it got a little better toward the end, but let's hope that the new Indian place can regulate its humidity a little better.
- The little convenience store on the corner of Church and 18th (and by "convenience store" I mean "crackden on the corner") is finally being renovated in preparation for a new occupant. I'm sure Jeffrey's Natural Pet Food Company next door must be thrilled, because this storefront was scary when it was empty and boarded up, and scary when open and operating as Shukri's Scrumptious Deli. Here's a photo of the corner back in 2006 after it shut down, but before it got really crack-y:
Now the facade has been completely redone, with large glass windows on both the Church and 18th Street sides. I couldn't tell from the signage what is going in, but with Dolores Park, the J-Church stop, and Mission High School so close by, this is a prime location for a business which needs foot traffic.
- On Church Street, the folks that own the small produce shop Golden Produce have opened up another shop a little further north at 130 Church Street. It's called Golden Natural Foods, and is a specialty health food store. Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief because the site has been under construction for so long that people doubted that anything would ever open. The store is slick and pretty, and looks like a "real store" as opposed to the "permanent roadside fruitstand" look that the original store has. Supposedly the family which owns the businesses will continue to run both.
Some people are really devoted to the original Golden Produce, but I've always been a little underwhelmed. Admittedly I've only shopped there about 3 times, but each time it seemed like choices were slim (even of things which were in season), the prices were high (for the quality), and the service was indifferent. Feel free to convince me otherwise in the comments.
- The bar Lookout which rose from the ashes of The Metro at the corner of 16th and Market has finally opened the companion restaurant which shares the stairway entrance on 16th Street. It's a pizza place, and is called Thick & Thin Pizza.
When I talked with the owner Chris Hastings for my October column for the B.A.R., he mentioned that previously a Chinese restaurant had been in that space, but I think it had closed down long before The Metro shut. Back then he was predicting opening the restaurant for table service back in late October, but the opening finally happened this month. (Actually, a three-month delay isn't so bad in this neighborhood.)
- I'm planning to post tomorrow about the current Milk-fever sweeping the Castro, but there seems to be one closure around the filming site which is unrelated to the movie. Next door to Harvey Milk's old camera shop (which is currently home to MoMA-meets-Harajuku-Girl fabporium, Given) the First American Title Company office is boarded over.
The sign in the front window says that effective December 28, 2007, they are no longer in the neighborhood, and clients are directed to one of the other offices in the city. The timing of this couldn't be better for the filming which is about to start next door, and I wonder if maybe some "economic incentive" from the producers helped to set the timing of the title company's closure. (Apologies for this craptastic picture with the wrong focus point. I will try to swap this out with a better picture.)For anyone who bemoans the apparent proliferation of real-estate-related businesses in the Castro, note that this is the second title company which has (apparently) closed in the neighborhood. It's a little early to call it a trend, but it is interesting to note, at the very least.
- OK, gotta sign off tonight, but there are more closures/openers to report tomorrow. 'Night all!
One rough part about this blog is that occasionally new businesses open, and before I can blog about them they close.
An example of that is Bjorn eye wear which had opened back in the summer of 2006 on the corner of Church and Market in the historic brick building kitty-corner from the Safeway parking lot. It is a big store with dramatic (if chopped-up) windows and a visible location. I wasn't sure how many eyeglasses you had to sell to pay for a lot like this, but it seemed if anyone could do it it would be this local designer/manufacturer. I loved the colorful logo with the playful, smart font.
Unfortunately, Bjorn is no more, although the company still has its store on Union Street. I noticed the closed store back in September, but the company web site still lists the Castro location and also proudly features the press release announcing the Castro opening. Poor guys.
Similary, right next door to Bjorn on Market there was a little jewelry store. I can't remember when this opened -- I've been through my photo files and can't find any record. I remember looking at this place when it opened, and I decided not to blog about it. It was one of those jewelry stores which looked a little do-it-yourself (if you know what I mean), sort of like the stores which used to line Powell street before the big downtown clean-up. It just didn't seem that interesting to write about, but I figured it would survive since those type of stores always seem to hang on.
Well, that store is gone now too. Apparently they also have a second location, and a hand-written sign in the window explains that the other location continues to operate as before. The other location is called Siberian Star, but I don't remember if the Castro location had the same name.
And like a virus spreading, could it be that the Alliance Title Company next to the jewelry store is also on the verge of going under? A tip from a reader led me to check it out, and sure enough the mail is piled up on the foyer floor, undisturbed for weeks. At first I though, "Maybe they closed for the holidays?" But the holidays are over, and considering the health of the real estate industry it wouldn't be surprising to see some businesses shutting down.
The dying office plants don't bode well for Alliance's health either.
Quite suddenly last week the restaurant Bullshead, located across the street from Delano's IGA, shut down and vacated its space. The sign posted in the window blamed the closure on a lost lease, but gives no further details on the sudden closure.
This was a shocker for us, since Bullshead always seemed to have a good flow of customers in to sample its buffalo and non-buffalo offerings. It had the advantage of having more than one San Francisco location, theoretically giving it some of the advantages of a (mini) chain. Another point on its side was that it was one of the few restaurants in the Castro dedicated to red meat, making its closure just one week before the Hairrison Street Fair even more ironic and poignant.
So during my years visiting and living in the Castro this location has now seen 4 restaurants:
- Bullshead
- Tallulah
- Due Ragazzi
- Ristorante Incontro
Is this another cursed location for small businesses?
Finally, the title of this post is a reference to my little bit of idiocy dating back from when this restaurant opened. I saw the sign, and in my mind read it like "Bull-shead". Never mind that "shead" isn't a word, I guess I just have a profane mind.
Bullshead, we're sorry to see you go, and we're curious what brave soul is going to give this odd space a try next.
I'm long overdue to mention a store that opened up on Market recently, Wicked. It's a scented candle store, and although scented candles are a frequent, easy target of jokes, it's also true that scented candles are one of the few things that are stereotypical for both gays and lesbians. From that point of view this store is pure marketing genius. The store itself is inviting and attractive, and the candles and bath items are good for casual browsing, so I think this will be a good addition to the retail scene here.
More interesting than the store itself is the story of the former occupant of this space. This is where a short-lived jewelry store named Bling had its much-derided run. Bling billed itself as a high-end jewelry store, but the time we visited it seemed that the level of the merch was pretty much what the passe-hip-hop-lingo name would imply. Reader twinkler summed it up in an email better than I can:
when they first opened (a year ago, was it?), their windowshades were always down to, as the sign in the window said, protect the privacy of their customers. well, that stupid & pretentious plan didn't last long--apparently, the privacy of the ostensible luxury items they were flogging was protected too well and no one came in the store. a few weeks later, up came the shades. not that that saved them in the end.
My memory is that they were around less than a year, and were closed before the last holiday season rolled around. Here is a photo of the empty storefront from last November:
However, it seems that no one noticed the closing or missed the "bling" because around April of this year I suddenly had numerous people tell me through email, blog comments, and in person that Bling had shut down -- presumably at least 6 months after the store had actually shut! Seriously, I think I had 7 messages in a two week span, the most tips I've ever had about one store!
I think that in April they put up a real estate sign signifying the new leasee, and that's what triggered the attention, but as you can see by the picture above, the store had been long-closed by then. What does it say when a store is derided when opened, ignored when closed, and finally noticed when replaced?
OK, how can you take an interesting menu, helpful friendly service, an attractive storefront (two of them!), and two good locations and make them fail twice? I'm not sure, but I know someone you might ask for the answer to that...
I covered before the apparent business decisions that went into the closing of Malacca's 18th Street location, and its move to replace Crave on Market. Now it seems that the behind-the-scenes tumult is finally over as a hastily-scrawled sign in the window (two of them!) announces the end of Malacca, presumably for good.
We definitely liked the original Malacca -- which was artfully decorated, served a great brunch menu, and had an energetic helpful service staff -- and were sad to see it close. We were wary of the post-move Malacca which seemed to lack the clear Malaysian identity of the original, but at least the one time we visited the bartender was friendly and knew how to shake a good cosmo. We never got a chance to sample the food, but the quick reviews we heard from friends weren't encouraging, to say the least.
Well, that's one more restaurant and liquor license out there. Who'll be the next to jump into the fray? Situated under The Patio The Cafe bar, this would certainly be a great location for a late-night eatery.
The long-touted closing of the rummage sale at 530 Castro Street has finally come to pass. Saturday was their last day, and by Sunday the place was empty and the tile floor (or what was left of it) was being scraped up. Butcher paper is up in the windows now, and bets are being taken on what is coming next. History would suggest another crazy-aunt's-parlor-inspired variety shop, but I'm hoping that this high-traffic, high-visibility spot will get a more viable tenant.
