This is part of a series on small businesses in San Francisco.
At Pepperjack Provisions in the Sunset, owner Jacquelyn London knows it’s a “tomato girl summer” and wants her customers to indulge, too.
The primary display in the Inner Sunset retail store features a variety of tomato-themed products: Candles in the shape and colors of the fruit, spoon rests and plates decorated with tomatoes, alongside dish towels with, yes, tomatoes.
Less than a year after opening at 1232 9th Ave. on Sept. 21, 2024, the space is what London calls a “modern general store.” Corners of the space are dedicated to home goods, including wooden spoons and ceramic berry baskets, while the cove pantry space offers sauces, condiments, crackers and more.
A Cape Cod, Massachusetts, native, she grew up visiting small-town “community-driven” country stores and always felt drawn to them. Now, her outfits reflect the artsy store she calls her own: London wears a black and white high-necked tank under brown overalls, and a sweater with floral detailing to keep warm. Thick gold hoops the size of limes dangle from her ears.
She greets each customer with a “hi, welcome in,” her blue eyes meeting them as they step into the open space. Or, see her by the check-out area’s floor-to- ceiling wallpaper with images of fish, artichokes, chili peppers and seasoning.
After moving to San Francisco 17 years ago, London tended bar, then worked for a marketing agency and for Pottery Barn, always with the vision of running her own operation. She initially imagined the store outside of the city, but that changed quickly.
“This was available, and I walked in and it was the right time, the right place, the right price, and so I just went all in,” she said. “Stop talking about it. Let’s do it.”
She leases the space from a family that has owned the building for three generations and says it’s been a positive experience. Plus, San Francisco’s First Year Free program, which waives registration fees, licensing costs and the first-year permit, was “very supportive” at the outset, she said.
The sole owner, she said she developed many of her skills through a former corporate retail job in the Mission District at Goorin Brothers, a hat company. By familiarizing herself with many departments across the company, she built the confidence to go out on her own. Now, she wears many hats herself: Head of facilities, accounting, and merchandising.
Mixing well-curated home goods with everyday small-batch foods brings her joy, said the 41-year-old London. A good thing, since she works five days a week, while an employee covers the other two days.
Consumables were also appealing, because they can be bought for personal use, and make great gifts, she said. Additionally, when people come looking for a gift for travel or housewarming, consumables like jars of shortbread, dried peaches and kiwis, or pesto sea salt can do the job.
“I’ll be like, what about a consumable?” she said about recommending products to customers. “Oh my gosh, great, yeah,” London will hear back.
When a customer inquires about a product, she knows that the linen comes from Lithuania. When another purchases an eggplant spread, the two joke about how it’s sure to please the patron’s Sicilian family.
Since she began keeping track of customer metrics in the last month, London says one to two out of every five customers will make a purchase.
In the half-hour or so that I was there, four patrons came in, and two made a purchase. Those that didn’t still admired the eclectic mix of offerings.
Pepperjack Provisions also hosts weekly cheese tastings on Fridays that have attracted regulars.
“This neighborhood is very community driven,” she said. “They’re very much for the locals, for the neighborhood, so I feel very lucky that I stayed in this neighborhood and figured that out.”
Being near to the entrance of Golden Gate Park also drives business, she said, and wonders if a new proposal to add meters might kill that. This is one of the topics of discussion among the members of the Inner Sunset Merchants Association, for which she is on the board.
She considers the 9th Avenue location a “version one” of her vision, with the possibility of opening a second or third location outside of San Francisco.
While price point and location were big draws, proving “the concept to myself — that I can do this, that I want to do this,” also inspired her to take the leap, she said.
Close to a year in, and after learning everything from social media to inventory management, she sees connection with customers as “the most gratifying part — and it’s something you can’t replicate online.”