Little Spot Cafe regulars had their last brew Wednesday at their local joint. Three weeks ago, the cafe’s owner, Ken Kurita, was given a 30-day eviction notice after 12 years in business.
You wouldn’t have guessed that the eclectic cafe at 23rd Street and South Van Ness Avenue was about to close on Wednesday afternoon. A man sat in an armchair reading a book to the toddler in his lap, two teenage girls sat chatting and giggling by the window, and a couple of other customers sat working on their laptops.
“This week has been hard,” said Kurita, who broke the news to neighbors. “I have had grown men cry in front of me.” The cafe has been operating on this site since 2002. Kurita has been here since 2012.
“It’s super sad, but I’m one of the last people leaving,” he added, while taking a swig of pineapple Snapple and wearing a black Little Spot T-shirt.
Kurita was born in Tokyo and moved to the United States when he was a kid. The 56-year-old, who used to live nearby and now lives in Oakland, has seen the neighborhood evolve through the dot-com bubble, the 2008 recession, and the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, he has seen other businesses come and go. “I got to have this during interesting times.”
When asked about the reason for the eviction notice, Kurita said he had no concrete answers; it’s an “untenable landlord situation,” he said.
Little Spot has always attracted an eclectic group, even dogs before it was commonplace to take your dog into cafes, said Kurita. Some neighbors even started subsidizing a dog-treat fund, to pay for all the dog treats he would give out.
Some older folks would come in and fall asleep in the armchairs, he said. “I’d let them sleep.”
While most cafes in the neighborhood sell cups of coffee at a going rate of $4 and above, Little Spot has kept its prices low: A small drip coffee is $3, a large one $3.25. It also sold sandwiches, pastries and bagels, all reasonably priced. “I think the sandwiches are cheaper than at Costco,” said Kurita.
While Kurita used to hire staff, including students from John O’Connell High School, recently it has just been him working there with his partner and step-daughter, Marley Born.
Kurita said dealing with the city’s administration has been difficult. When business was tough in the summer of 2020, the cafe received a graffiti citation. He said he also attempted to join the city’s Legacy Business Program, but never heard back on his application.
“It’s funny how ephemeral things are,” Kurita said, looking around. The room was still filled with mismatched chairs and nostalgic relics: An old TV, framed photos, Japanese manga books, CDs. He has until Oct. 1 to vacate the space.
“What do we have a city for,” Kurita asked, “If nobody can stay?”
Commercial leases are usually long-term and normally a tenant cannot be evicted during the term of that lease. So it is unusual for a 30-day notice to quit to be issued. The norm is for a new lease to be negotiated towards the end of a prior lease. Neither side is obligated to renew and no cause is need to evict. It may be a shame but is not necessarily anyone’s fault.
Is there an explanation here?
Plain and simple GREEDY landlords that don’t give a sh about small businesses and people’s lives or the neighbors
Hmm – is there a reason why we can’t name the landlords or building owners in these situations? I feel like leaving them unnamed in the article allows them to escape even the low level of accountability that public scorn affords.
Thank you Ken. It was sweet.
“his partner and step-daughter, Marley Born” hoping this is a typo, because this phrasing makes it sound as though Marley is both… his partner AND step-daughter
Alex —
I think it’s pretty clear she was his business partner. This is not an uncommon usage of the word “partner.” Wells and Fargo were not having an affair.
Yours,
JE
‘Untenable landlord situation’, that’s pretty vague. Well after 22yrs things change: neighborhoods, people, livelihoods. 22yrs is a really good run, I’m sure the last 5yrs have been no fun for the building owner or the cafe owner. Any business owner has been barely trying to keep their heads above water, and commercial interest rates are now really high. Building owner is beholden to inflation too (insurance increases are out of control).
Maybe the owner is getting out of SF due to costs & headaches, maybe the cafe is over due on rent.
Just walked by and realized The Little Spot closed. It was indeed a great little spot for the neighborhood. I hope it comes back in another iteration. Much love to The Little Spot staff for creating such a warm environment for the neighborhood. You will be greatly missed!
Your photographer captured extensive documentation of one of most pathetic scourges in San Francisco, the lowlifes who have nothing better to do in their miserable lives, than scar the city with their acid burned glass.
Maybe it’s an “untenable landlord situation”? I see people blaming the building owner without any facts. The article provided no reason. This is a feel bad story I guess without much thought. It’s nonsense the business owner doesn’t know the reason. He doesn’t want to disclose yet wants an article about him.
Shame. Can’t the current supervisor, and candidates, expedite a legacy business status? Maybe there were issues pointed out by other comments here, wish the landlord was named and interviewed, maybe a follow-up story? The Little Spot was one of the last cafés left that had its own character. Great art and tchotchkes everywhere. Couches, coffee table, decent music and its own selection of books for browsing. Arugula and roast beef sandwiches without spending a mint. Bummer to hear it’s no more.
My kids and our dog absolutely loved The Little Spot Café, and it’s heartbreaking to hear that such a beloved place will be closing. My family and I are truly saddened by the news, and we wish Ken and his family all the best.
It’s deeply frustrating to see our city falling prey to the greed of landlords who care little about the legacy and history of our neighborhoods. What’s even more disappointing is how our tax dollars seem to go towards selective support for local businesses, while politicians sit comfortably in their offices until retirement or reelection. No one picks up the phone, and there’s little advocacy or outreach for businesses to get the support they need—unless they can somehow navigate the confusing websites on their own.
To my fellow neighbors: wake up. It’s election time. Please research the local candidates for supervisor and mayor. Our community deserves better. Attend debates, ask tough questions, and hold these people accountable. Don’t let endorsements be your only reason for voting for someone. If we don’t take action, we may wake up one day to find that our parking spots, local businesses, parks, and schools are all gone. We may not even be able to park our bikes without fear of them being stolen.
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I ALREADY can’t park my bike without fear of it being stolen.
This is so sad to hear. I used to go to Little Spot often when I lived down the block. It really felt like the neighborhood gathering place, all sorts of people would show up and it was one of the few cafes where it felt easy to chat up a stranger. We truly lost a real one.
Name the landlord.
Larissa, nothing in the article indicates that the landlord here did anything wrong or illegal.
“What do were have a City for if no one can stay?” We have it for Waymo, DoorDash, amazon, Google and Facebook, right?