On a typical day selling speakers and electronics on Mission Street, Franco Gonzalez used to see dozens of clients and perhaps $200 in sales, a healthy haul for the street vendor. Months later, at La Placita, one of two markets the city opened to support permitted vendors who were pushed off the street by the Mission vending ban in November, customers were rare. On a recent sunny day, only one browsed the stands.
Already, slow sales closed El Tiangue, the second city-operated location on Mission Street for vendors banned from hawking their wares outdoors. During the week of April 22, Gonzalez transitioned from El Tiangue (previously at 17th and Mission streets) to La Placita (at 1 Lilac St., near 24th and Mission streets). But he said little has changed.
“The sales are minimal,” he said. “There hasn’t been any publicity since we moved here. It’s the same phenomenon we experienced at El Tiangue.” He didn’t sell much in the beginning when he was at El Tiangue, he said, “so it feels as if we’re reliving that experience.”
When El Tiangue closed, some of its vendors were hopeful that La Placita’s proximity to the 24th Street BART station and a concentration of vendors might improve sales. So far, however, that has not been the case.
“There’s no sales. There’s nothing. All my profits are going to the trash,” said Juanita, gesturing to a wilted bunch of roses she had thrown away. “We need support so we can go back to Mission Street. We need help.”
The ban along Mission Street, which went into effect at the end of November, has been extended until the end of August.
A representative from the Office of Economic Workforce Development said on Thursday that they are trying new strategies to support the vendors, including extending operational hours, providing a DJ every Saturday, and promoting La Placita through radio ads and the department’s website. The office, in cooperation with the Latino Task Force, has implemented additional resources that can help support vendors by reducing their rent.
Vendors Manuel Soltero and Ana Macha, a couple who made the move from El Tiangue to La Placita, said their sales have struggled since the transition from selling on the street; they make only $30 to $40 a day. They were able to access some financial help through a Latino Task Force housing program, and said that has helped them pay at least three months of rent.
However, they now worry they will not be able to make rent, as this support for their case is close to running out.
Susana Rojas, the executive director of Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, said she has seen more foot traffic since the merchants from El Tiangue made the transition, but she acknowledged that not all the vendors are doing well.
It is still too early to say why some vendors are doing better than others, but she said that it “definitely helps” whenever Calle 24 (in conjunction with the city) throws events offering music, snacks or prizes to attract customers. She added that there are more customers when the storefront is filled with vendors, but the number of vendors changes on a daily basis.
“We want to see what [the vendors are] doing and what they’re not,” said Rojas. “We are trying things and we are committed to continue to support the vendors.”
Sofia Lopez is one vendor who has seen steady sales in the last few weeks. Her stand offers leather, hats and Mexican and Guatemalan flags. She said that when La Placita opened on Nov. 28, sales were nonexistent. But that changed after the site’s tarps came down.
“I always sell, sometimes $100, $50 or $30,” said Lopez. “I see potential in this place, because we’re on 24th, and that should help us get people to come in.”
Lopez said most of her sales happen after 4 p.m., but that some of the new vendors at the site start packing up before that, because business is too slow. She said she understands their frustration, but hopes these merchants will try staying longer to see if their sales increase.
At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, Juan, who did not want to share his last name, was packing up his merchandise at La Placita. The day had been a blessing, he said. He took in more than $100, compared to a typical haul of $20 or $30 — or nothing at all.
But, Juan said, he did not see any differences from the sales at the previous storefront, El Tiangue.
“Today was the first time that I sold as much as $130,” he said. “Most days are slow, but you have to come, because it’s better than just staying at home, where you’re guaranteed nothing.”
An hour later, three people walked in, but none bought anything. A DJ played music, and a security guard made his rounds while Juanita tried to protect her flowers from direct sunlight. Merchants said that the desolate scene repeats on a daily basis.
Their hope? That the vending ban will expire, as planned, in August, and that city leaders will not extend it again.
“I come all the way from Oakland, and I haven’t sold anything at all this week. It makes it hard to want to bring all my products, because no one comes,” said merchant Ana Muñoz. “I want to go back to my spot at 16th and Mission. I hope we can.”
La Placita will host a Mother’s Day celebration on Friday May 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. with music, a raffle and free flowers for mothers. Another one on Saturday May 11, from 9:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m. with desserts and flowers, and a Mother’s Day pop-up with the vendors will take place on Sunday, May 12, at 23rd and Capp streets from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“My” spot on 16th and Mission. Now there is real greed. Thinking public property belongs to you…
Talk about misplaced entitlement.
The vending ban needs to be permanent.
What about all the stores on Mission Street, they are paying for that commercial spot, only to have people camp outside often selling stolen goods. 16/Mission & 24/Mission need to be open for public to traverse.
Agree
I was a street artist in the 1980’s and 90’s San Francisco did absolutely nothing for us.I made what I sold.I had a lottery for a place to sell several times a week.I paid a license. I had a State Board of Equalization account.My tax money should not be used to support any of this vending issue.San Francisco has turned into a dump and taxpayer supported selling of random stuff is absolutely not in the best interest of legal taxpayering businesses.
I’m no retail expert, but maybe they need to stay open on the later side, like 4-8 in the summer, and make the place not look like a jail cell from the outside? There’s a ton of foot traffic at 24th & Mission.
Between the fence at La Placita and the gates around Calle 24’s offices (not to mention the barriers at McDonalds and the lingering mess at the BART plaza) there is nothing inviting about that part of 24th street.
The music at La Placita is too loud.
These kinds of outside stand up markets usually operate on weekly basis, don’t they? Then the noise and color and crowds make people want to go because it’s different than usual and puts the customer in the altered state of mind they need to be in to buy leather hat.
Let’s try to keep this kind of activity confined to the Tenderloin
Hmmm – all I’ve seen from this command economy effort is city vehicles parked on the plaza and sidewalk, city employees paid to stand around uselessly, the permanent puddle still there (the drain has been blocked for 5+ years), fences blocking the sidewalks, a total loss of vibrancy in the plaza and the knock-on effects of reduced foot traffic to neighboring businesses. All this because some noisy rich person “felt scared”. It’s not the duty of SFPD to be worrying about peoples feelings: Just because someone feels unsafe doesn’t make it so, and has historically been used to justify persecution of innocent people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic
These dumpy areas remind me of the metro stations in Mexico city. We tried to get to the stairs leading below to trains but could hardly make it through the vendors who put blankets down with all their junk on them. 16th and Mission, 24th and Mission, stolen goods for sale with or without a city permit. Down with illegal activity.
Mission Local continues its track record of being on the wrong side.
These illegal street vendors on Mission Street are bad for the city.
If Mission Local cared about disabled people, you could interview some to ask how they navigate around street vendors.
If Mission Local didn’t hate capitalism, you could interview some taxpaying, law-abiding brick-and-mortar stores on Mission Street and ask them how they feel about fly-by-night street vendors setting up outside their businesses.
But you all just constantly stand on the side of chaos and criminality. That is your prerogative. But you could instead be part of the solution.
Hi Tracey —
These are all legal vendors, with permits.
But don’t worry, everyone knows what you really mean.
JE