Posted on 03/01/2024 11:40:20 AM PST by Twotone
A San Francisco restaurant chain recently closed its last two remaining locations after 40 years of operation, with the owner citing the city's economic challenges and homelessness.
"COVID has been a disease for us, let's put it that way, so it's been difficult, and we tried opening six or eight stores in the beginning in 2021, and it was ugly," Lee's Diner founder and owner Lee Quan told the local ABC 7 in a report published Wednesday. "There was just nobody around—we can't do business."
Quan, whose family-owned chain had 16 locations at its height, said after the pandemic, people were generally back to work only for three days out of the week. He also blamed inflation, minimum wage hikes in San Francisco, and a lack of support from government leaders from the city and state for his business's closure.
"Did they do anything to really help us? No," Quan said. "What things they did were insufficient to deal with the problem. We needed people to come back in and we needed the homeless people out. When the pandemic hit we had 12 stores, let's say. Each one of those stores was stocked for food that would last a couple weeks up to a month, so when we could not open, all that food ended up going in the garbage can!"
Mayor London Breed (D.) discussed the difficulties of the city's Financial District, where many of Quan's restaurants were located, in an interview with the outlet.
"Revitalization takes time," Breed said. "We've been through a global pandemic. Shopping patterns have changed, and so we need to adjust to that, and we need to reduce all the fees and taxes and barriers that make it difficult for people to thrive in business in San Francisco, and that's exactly what I'm doing."
Lee's Diner is one of many notable San Francisco businesses to have closed in recent months. Earlier this month, Jeffrey's Toys, which inspired the movie Toy Story, shut down, with the owner citing crime. Target shuttered nine stores, three of which were in or near San Francisco, in September, due to similar safety threats and theft. A hardware store last week began requiring customers to shop with escorts as a way to deter thieves. And Macy's on Tuesday announced it is closing its flagship store in Union Square, which had been open since 1929.
Will the last business leaving please turn off the lights.
SF is spiraling baby.........
More roof of what happens when Democrats are in charge.
Interesting. Thanks for posting.
Nancy Pelosi can only smile with glee. She fulfilled her dream. She probably goes downtown everytime she gets to San Francisco and spends lot’s of money. My last visit to Fisherman’s Wharf, I held my breath and said I would never come back.
Lee’s Diner, back in the day (before Mayor London Breed), was a go-to place for sandwiches and lunch in the financial district of SF. During lunch hour, thousands of workers descended on the streets and jammed restaurants, but you could easily get in and out of Lee’s for a sandwich.
It was lack of action on the Mayor’s part, inviting in homeless, drug addicts, and criminals that forced businesses to vacate. She blames it on Covid, but there is no bounce-back when other problems are not handled to make it safe for businesses.
Lee’s Diner. Sounds like the anti-American, Cancel Culture Clubbers missed one in San Francisco with flowers in your hair of all places.
Perhaps if they had donated to Governor New-scum they would have received the Panera treatment and received a waiver.
Oh well, may your last meal served be the best!
For decades, Rice-a-Roni proclaimed itself to be “the San Francisco treat.” No more. When you hear the jingle sung during the commercials, the phrase “the San Francisco treat” is omitted. No food product these days would want to be associated with San Francisco—for obvious reasons.
* Dine & Dash (people eating, then not paying).
* Homeless coming in off the street just to use (and trash) the rest rooms.
* Customers increasingly afraid to go out in public, preferring the safety of eating at home.
* Rising expenses of food, utilities, insurance, and government fees & taxes.
Liberalism kills, Jobs, people and the American dream...whatever that is now.
“”Revitalization takes time””
The only ‘vitality’ occurring is the mass exodus of any who can.
The other day there was a video of the new San Francisco transportation hub, a $2 billion fiasco. The ‘dream’ is that all busses, trains, and yes, even the Super Train To Nowhere would use the new terminal. The video was about 5 minutes long. The person was walking up and down, all through the facility. Everything appeared shiny and new. Only one thing was missing.....people. The person filming then walked outside the terminal, and only then do we learn that he is filming the inside of the terminal during the crush of rush hour. Outside are miles and miles of cars. For the moment, it is relatively safe to drive.
Many places in San Francisco have large signs, announcing: Beware - Smash-&-Grab Area. Do Not Leave Anything In Automobile!! There are news articles about residents leaving their car windows down, trying to avoid smashed windows. Some residents are even keeping the car trunk open, showing the homeless and the creeps that there is nothing to steal. I can just imagine a homeless person curling up in the trunk, falling asleep, and going on a trip wherever the drive goes.
My 6 brothers and sisters and I remember a place in San Francisco called Playland At The Beach. Our dad was born and raised in San Francisco. These are very early, joyful memories. Playland had all kinds of old school, amusement park fun, especially Laughing Sal.
No one is laughing now.
I’ve eaten at Lee’s Diner. Big selection, low prices, good food.
My sisters and I also had a lot of fun at Playland during the 1960's. Until the race riots made it dangerous. I remember being parked at the Great Highway next to Playland and seeing a gang of blacks attack a white couple, tossing garbage cans from above down on them on the beach - time to leave! A friend of mine worked the Diving Bell ride, and at night we would dive underwater and smoke joints. Lots of fun there, lots of good stuff in SF during the '60s, soon disappeared (when the Democrats flooded in from back east).
And on another topic related to businesses closing, Macy is closing 150 stores.
I can only assume that these empty buildings and blocks of real estate will soon be owned by companies fronting for the Chinese government.
Liberals have destroyed many crown jewel historical cities in the USA.
Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.
I believe it to be intentional at this point.
Whew! Glad I sent my return in last week and already had my cc credited!!!!!
I didn’t see a post in the media of which stores are closing. It’s been ages since I’ve been to one of their stores.
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