Latest news with #Priolo
San Francisco Chronicle
29-04-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
60-year-old S.F. bottle shop evicted
The Jug Shop, a well-known neighborhood liquor store listed on the San Francisco Legacy Business registry, has been evicted from its location in the Polk Gulch area, court documents show. The 60-year-old business was sued by its landlord at 1648 Pacific Ave. over more than $170,000 in allegedly unpaid rent. It now appears vacant, its shelves barren of the upscale wine and spirits for which it was known. The Jug Shop had moved to this interim location, an old firehouse building, in 2021, within earshot of its longtime address 1590 Pacific Ave., on the corner of Polk Street and Pacific Avenue. But there, business dried up, second generation owner Mike Priolo told the Chronicle in December. At the time, Priolo was seeking funds to help the Jug Shop complete its long-planned move back to 1590 Pacific Ave., joining a new mixed-use development, named Maison Pacific, where an empty retail space was waiting. Of the $500,000 it sought, the Jug Shop raised just $22,000; the fate of those funds wasn't immediately clear. Priolo did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The developer of Maison Pacific did not respond to request for comment on the future of the planned Jug Shop retail space. In 2024, a major distributor, Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, sued the Jug Shop for alleged breach of contract and what it claimed were more than $30,000 in unpaid invoices. The case was referred to arbitration in February, court records show. The Jug Shop could be the latest Legacy Business to close despite the assistance program from the city. The program provides help with permits and incentives for landlords of businesses which have operated for more than 30 years. This fiscal year the city devoted $1 million from the budget, according to the city's Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legacy SF business faces 'imminent' eviction, turns to community for support
SAN FRANCISCO - The Jug Shop has been part of San Francisco for 60 years, but that could soon change. According to owner and operations manager, Mike Pirolo, they need a miracle to keep the business afloat. The liquor and spirits shop has moved locations four times in its history. The most recent move was supposed to be temporary, but it proved much longer and more detrimental than previously anticipated as they waited for construction at their previous location to finish. In the four years since the move, business has fallen 80 percent. Priolo blames a lack of foot traffic on Pacific Street compared to nearby Polk Street in addition to a pandemic and a shift in alcohol consumption. "Once we moved the business, it was immediate," Priolo said. "Day one, month one, we experienced business cut in half." Priolo has worked at The Jug Shop for 20 years. Prior to that, his father worked there in the 60s before he became a part-owner. Now, in their 60th year in business, Priolo says they've exhausted just about every option, so they're launching a Hail Mary. The family was hoping the city would be able to assist, but said because of the current budget deficit, funds for legacy business assistance are dry. So they've turned to GoFundMe with a lofty goal of nearly $500,000. At the last check, they had raised about $20,000. Despite this, the dire situation is evident as soon as you walk through the doors. The once bustling boozy hot spot now has more empty spaces than full. So, the business that has loved the city and its residents for decades turns to them for help, with the hope that the support will be enough to keep The Jug Shop at home in San Francisco. You can donate to The Jug Shop GoFundMe here.
