A tiny bark welcomes you into Productos Naturales Georgina’s at 2286 Mission Street. Popi, a small Chihuahua, sits behind the counter in his FBI sweater. “He’s my guard,” says Georgina, the owner. “He lets me know whenever anyone comes into the store when I’m in the back. I have avoided being robbed countless times because of him.” “I stocked this...
Coletta Gelato’s Antonio Massimini and Henri Waltenspuhl have parked their custom-made gelato bike cart in the entrance to Harrington Galleries at Valencia and 17th, bringing the total count of ice cream stores in the Mission to a whopping 12. It’s one of several pop-up shops that will make appearances at the furniture store this summer, except, Massimini said, Coletta Gelato...
State officials seized the liquor license of Farina Focaccia & Cucina Italiana on 18th and Dearborn streets and sold it at auction to cover nearly $275,000 in back taxes and penalties owed by the restaurant, according to a Board of Equalization notice. The license went on sale July 11 with a minimum bid of $225,000. A spokesperson for the California...
In a market where e-commerce has usurped traditional retail and research suggests consumers go out for experiences rather than to shop, some Mission businesses are finding success in offering what can’t be ordered at the click of a button. Steve Fox opened his San-Francisco-themed indoor mini-golf course Urban Putt in 2014, with exactly that in mind. His plan had never been...
A parking lot in Cesar Chavez street is home to a white truck flying Firepie banners. From afar it looks like any other food-truck but this particular truck is an oven. Within it is a traditional Naples oak-burning oven that can reach up to 900 degrees to cook artisan pizzas in 90 seconds. The Firepie truck, says its owner, is filling...
Before Armando Ramirez became the co-owner of Off Top, a hat store that opened in April at 2359 Mission Street, in the El Capitan building, he earned a six-figure salary as a mortgage lender in Sacramento, he said. For two years he was working six days a week, and he had his own apartment, but the job left him unhappy....
A historic and troubled property located at 2205 Mission Street at the intersection with 18th Street is for sale again after a deal with a commercial developer fell through. Its current owner, former Facebook executive Owen van Natta, is asking $7 million for the property according to the realtor for the property. He purchased it for $5 million in 2014....
Developments in Development is a “weekly” column recapping real estate, housing, planning, zoning and construction news. A year ago today, more than 50 tenants lost their homes in a fire that consumed several buildings and left others with serious damage at 29th and Mission streets. Here are a few updates on what has happened at those sites: First, Hillary Ronen...
After recovering from the fallout of three fires near her 22nd St. location, Los Shucos owner Sofia Keck announced Thursday that she will be shutting down the Guatemalan hot dog joint after a five-year-run in the Mission. Currently only operating on weekends, Los Shuco’s last day with a storefront open to the public at 3224 1/2 22nd Street will be...
The storefront at 461 Valencia Street may not be empty any longer. Everlane, a clothing retailer, has recently shown signs that they may be moving in. On April 19, the company filed an application with the planning department to move in. More recently, in honor of Pride month, they painted a mural on one of the property’s doors to promote...
The Fort Point brewery held a pre-application meeting at the Timbuk2 bag maker’s store on Shotwell street Tuesday night, answering questions from the handful of neighbors who dropped in to hear their pitch about moving in with the bag maker. The pub would be a full-service restaurant serving beer, and would be open for lunch and to all ages, said...
After working at Black + Blue Tattoo for seven years and winning various accolades and awards, artist Brücius von Xylander is getting ready to strike out on his own and will open Black Serum at 310 Valencia later this summer. Black Serum, while it will function as a tattoo parlor, will offer more of a confluence of creative work. “As owner of the space,...
At a public meeting Wednesday night, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting small businesses demanded that a mom and pop grocery and liquor store drop its application for a wine and beer license. “The onsite liquor service is the issue,” said Gabriel Medina, the policy manager for the Mission Economic Development Agency, which is opposing the application. The nonprofit agency has been...
When app developer Hamza Ouazzani Chahdi first arrived in San Francisco from Paris, Chahdi and a friend parked in a tow-away zone and got hit with a $580 fee for getting their car back – more than the vehicle was worth. His first app aimed at preventing parking calamity was met with a stern warning from the city for monetizing public...
Good Vibrations, San Francisco’s purveyor of high-quality sex accessories and educational material, is hosting its annual Bling My Vibe! contest and needs voters to decide which is the fairest of them all. Staff, sex celebrities, and members of the public have been painting, decoupaging, bejeweling, dressing, and sculpting vibes in workshops around the city. Now their creations will be pitted against one...
