San Francisco proposal would allow lawsuits over grocery store closures

Fox Business ^ | 4/07/24 | Eric Revell

[Libloather]

A San Francisco lawmaker introduced a proposal that would require grocery stores in the city to provide six months of notice before closing a store and to explore a replacement supermarket at the vacated location.

Dean Preston, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, introduced what he calls the Grocery Protection Act – which is based on a proposal the board approved in 1984 that was vetoed by then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein.

Preston's proposal would require grocery store owners to provide six months written notice to the Board of Supervisors as well as the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD). The store would also be required to post notices at all entries and exits as a means of informing customers and the general public. The rule wouldn't preclude closures due to a store being unprofitable.

"It was a good idea in 1984, and it's an even better idea now," Preston said in a press release. "Our communities need notice, an opportunity to be heard, and a transition plan when major neighborhood grocery stores plan to shut their doors. Meeting the food security needs of our seniors and families cannot be left to unilateral backroom decisions by massive corporate entities."

The six-month notice requirement would be waived if the closure is caused by business circumstances that weren't reasonably foreseeable at the time notice would've been required, or if the closure was due to a natural disaster or emergency.

It would also not be required if the business is in the process of actively seeking capital or business that would allow the closure to be postponed or avoided, and the business has a reasonable and good faith belief that giving the closure notice would've precluded the store from obtaining the capital or business needed to stay open.

[RoosterRedux]

Actually, that's a good idea for San Fran grocers.

National grocery chains should preemptively sell their San Fran stores to a shell company created by them (transfer ownership for pennies and dimes) and then have those shell companies invite the San Fran government to enter into partnerships with them to run these stores in ways that favor the customer (like grocery cooperatives are run).

Then the city will get bogged down with its own grocery problems. San Fran will lose huge amounts of money trying to keep these loser stores alive and suffer the political consequences when customers complain that they are poorly run.

[FreedomPoster]

To be called The Directive 10-289 Law of San Francisco.

[Cowgirl of Justice]

Give them the government surplus food my grandmother lived on when she was widowed in the 50’s, 60’s and was dead broke: cheese, canned goods, peanut butter and lard.

[Tai_Chung]

Why target grocery stores?

Why not make the law apply to all businesses in San Francisco?

Seriously, they should ask themselves why grocery stores want to close instead of taking them hostage.

[70times7]

***ATTENTION SHOPPERS***

As of ________ our new store hours will be 2:30 am to 2:31 am for the next 6 months.
After 6 months this store will close permanently.
We do not apologize for inconvenience to shoplifters and criminals.

We do feel badly for all of our loyal paying customers.
Your government has let you down.
Lack of policing and enforcement has made it unsafe and unprofitable to operate a store here.
We will not be forced to loose money in order to risk our lives and livelihood.

Please learn to vote differently.

Store Management

[FlingWingFlyer]

The same Bored of Supervisors who allow slobs to crap on their sidewalks.

[Lockbox]

As an American I am very sorry for your treatment by the US Government bureaucracy. I suggest you contact your Congress person. This is just a game to the bureaucracy, but it can be speed up by your Congress person, for whom this is just a game also. See you need your Congress person to solve your issue, you did vote for me? And contribute to my campaign? It’s all in the game! Your personal life, needs, time, they don’t care!

Again, I am sorry for your experiences, no American should be treated this way.

[bgill]

I’m out of popcorn with all this ridiculousness.

What potential new business owner would want that hanging over their heads?

[zeugma]

Raise up the community in a civilized manner and the stores will return. It is a cultural problem.

Everyone knows exactly what culture is the problem. I no longer give a damn if someone considers me 'racist'. There is place on the planet primarily populated by civilized black people.