Latest news with #OfficeofEconomicandWorkforceDevelopment
Axios
09-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
How a pop-up model is rewriting downtown San Francisco
Downtown San Francisco's experiment to place pop-ups in previously vacant spaces is fostering a fresh generation of local business owners. Why it matters: It marks a new strategy for longevity for Vacant to Vibrant, the grant program launched in 2023 to address the increase of empty spaces downtown. State of play: Vacant to Vibrant is expanding to Union Square this summer and betting on the area's reputation as a luxury retail district to deliver better success for its pop-ups. The organization aims to reach a point of launching two to four pop-ups per month. How it works: When the city partnered with the nonprofit SF New Deal to kickstart the program, both small businesses and downtown property owners were invited to apply on a rolling basis. The selected businesses received a three-month lease to operate with free rent, a grant of up to $8,000 for operating expenses and the option to extend the lease for another three months for free. The model "reduces the risk to both the small business owner to try an idea and also to the property owner to take a chance on a small business owner that might not be able to sign a long-term lease," SF New Deal executive director Simon Bertrang told Axios. Each pop-up also got a project manager to oversee the permitting process and help negotiate with the property owner or leasing company. Funding came from the Office of Economic and Workforce Development as well as corporate philanthropy. What they're saying: All of the grantees Axios spoke to said Vacant to Vibrant helped streamline the permitting process and lower costs. "They're like an incubator, accelerator and micro-investor all in one," Mo Abdelmeguid, owner of slow-bake cookie shop Hungry Crumbs, told Axios. What's typically a 6-8 month process took just two months, he added. What we're hearing: Despite negative perceptions of downtown vacancies, Devil's Teeth Bakery owner Hilary Passman said the demand is there — her pop-up was busy as soon as it launched in 2023 and eventually opened on weekends. Multimedia art studio GCS Agency owner Victor Gonzales, who signed onto a three-year lease during the first cohort, also noted that "activity breeds activity." He's been able to offer his studio as a space for neighboring organizations to use. By the numbers: Vacant to Vibrant has helped open 18 storefronts. A total of 11 have signed long-term leases. Three more pop-ups, including beloved taco purveyor Al Pastor Papi, were announced last month. Yes, but: Foot traffic is still not at pre-pandemic levels.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Celebrity chef's cafes close on Union Square
SAN FRANCISCO - Celebrity chef Tyler Florence has pulled out of two cafés on San Francisco's Union Square. The city confirmed that Miller & Lux closed on Union Square, now the city is looking to see who can fill those voids. Workers made trips in and out of the Miller & Lux bakery on the southwest corner of Union Square removing items from the now closed café. The Miller & Lux Provisions location across the square has a sign in the window that it's temporarily closed for repairs and renovations. It's now clear neither location will reopen. San Francisco's Recreation and Parks Department released a statement reading in part: "Miller & Lux stepped into the space with a pop-up during a critical time for the area, bringing energy and great food when it was needed most. While they've made the decision to move on, we're grateful for their time here and optimistic about the future of these café spaces." Tyler Florence opened the stores in 2023, at the time saying he'd signed a three-year lease, and wanted to be a part of the neighborhood's economic recovery. "We're all in this together to do what we can to bring San Francisco back," said Florence in November 2023. Former President of the Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin said he worried about the deal with the Department of Recreation and Parks and the mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development as it was being made; saying a $440,000 grant to improve the area was intended to fill vacant businesses on Powell Street between Geary and Market. Now he said he hopes the city takes a valuable lesson from the closure of the celebrity chef's Union Square locations. "I hope that the mayor really holds Rec and Parks and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development accountable and asks tough questions and gets real answers and structure future leases in such a way that folks like Tyler Florence will be held accountable," said Peskin. The OEWD said it oversaw the $440,000 grant to expedite the opening of Florence's restaurant locations on Union Square, which were open in time for the 2023 holiday shopping season. The OEWD said Florence's Miller & Lux locations helped boost business in the area, and that a $2 million grant from the state for improvements to the café spaces will continue, and those spaces will be ready for the next tenant. Local bakery b. patisserie stepped in over the Chinese New Year and NBA All Star weekend. The Union Square Alliance thanked Florence for stepping in at a critical time, but is already preparing for the next tenant to fill these locations. "b. patisserie came in and enjoyed the wave of NBA All Star week," said Marisa Rodriguez from the Union Square Alliance. "So we're going to keep that energy moving and keep the location just as hot as it's ever been. So, we're excited." The Recreation and Parks Department has said the b. patisserie pop-up over the All Star weekend was a success, and they're looking forward to working with them on a longer-term deal.
