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San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
The most exciting street food in the Bay Area is on this one block
Over the past three years, I've witnessed a single stretch of Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood transform into a bustling street food hub unlike any other in the Bay Area. In 2021, the options here on Foothill Boulevard were slim, with only a pair of Guatemalan stands. Now, depending on the day and time, there are between 10 and 20 different stalls selling Mexican huaraches, Guatemalan sandwiches, Salvadoran hen soup and Honduran baleadas, a folded-over flour tortilla stuffed with beans and more. The layout is like a corridor, with stands starting at Fruitvale Avenue and extending to 35th Avenue. It doesn't have an official name but many refer to the area as 'Walgreens' — alluding to the pharmacy where most stands congregate. These vendors effectively function as informal sidewalk restaurants — their rapid growth a reflection of a recent wave of immigrants seeking community, sustenance and sanctuary in an increasingly hostile new land. Foothill Boulevard stirs to life early. In the brisk morning, day laborers keep warm with cups of atole, a thick beverage made with corn masa or rice flour, while lining their bellies with tamales steamed in banana leaves. By lunch time, the options double. Savory aromas beckon noses and the hum of woodwind music spills out of speakers. A stand's most effective marketing tactic? Cooking in front of its clientele. Even a brief stroll down the corridor is met with a visual parade of comforts: wood-brown fried chicken zig-zagged with condiments, fluffy pupupas oozing with cheese and hand-stretched flour tortillas the size of a shield. During the evening, especially on weekends, the street teems with hungry denizens. Blue collar workers find sustenance in juicy steak plates. Families snack on cups of roasted corn, fruit-filled crepes and Guatemalan-style tostadas topped with beets or chow mein (a legacy of Chinese immigrants in Guatemala). A handful of taquerias advertise spinning al pastor trompos, quesabirria tacos and huaraches. In the last decade, Fruitvale has seen an increase of Central Americans immigrants; Oakland is home to roughly 18,500 foreign-born Central Americans, or about 4% of the city's population, according to the 2023 American Community Survey — an increase of more than 60% over a decade prior. These changes are palpable on Foothill Boulevard. Street food is the pulse of the neighborhood. The format thrives on this sense of immediacy, so much so that certain businesses have found more success on the sidewalk than with formalized food trucks. 'It's a place to socialize,' said Henry Sales, a community leader and translator for the neighborhood's Mam people, an indigenous group from Guatemala. He compares the corridor to La Terminal in Guatemala, a popular market in the capital city. Fatima Nuñez, the chef behind the exceptional Pupuseria Fatima, said the scene reminds her of her home in El Salvador. 'Where we're from, we're accustomed to seeing stands,' she told me in Spanish. The model, she argues, makes 'you feel like family.' What I see in Frutivale's street food scene is raw talent — a preview of future Bay Area restaurants. But I've often worried about the future of this corridor. While many of these vendors operate out of necessity, they do so outside the law. During the height of the pandemic, this part of Oakland developed a reputation for lax enforcement by local officials, but some stands have been shut down in the past. 'Our need (to work) is much greater than the risk,' said Nuñez. Last year, her business was shut down by health officials; undeterred, she returned a few weeks later. And then there is the Trump administration's animosity toward immigrants. 'I'm scared they're going to deport me and ruin my children's future,' Nuñez said. 'People's fears are definitely heightened,' said Andrew Park, executive director of Trybe, a nonprofit organization that provides food and various programs for the community. Those moments of anxiety, like false rumors of ICE raids in Oakland, can negatively impact business. 'Sales go down for a bit,' said Cynthia Solorsano of Shucos Magi, a Guatemalan stand that's been on the strip since 2021. 'But, thankfully, after a few days, fear starts to go down, and we continue to sell.' Despite their vulnerable position, Fruitvale's street vendors are out in the open, confronting peril head-on. 'We want people to see that we're just fighting to survive too,' said Darwin Fuentes Lara, who runs Honduran stand El Sazon K-Tracho. But these businesses aren't just surviving. Of the now thriving corridor, these three vendors stand out as the strongest talents, providing a thrilling window into Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Shucos Magi When the Solorsanso family began their Guatemalan stand Shucos Magi in 2021, it was one of two vendors on the Walgreens circuit. Searching for opportunity, the Solorsanos left Guatemala a decade ago and landed in Houston. They moved to Oakland in 2017 and launched Shucos Magi as a food truck two years later. During the pandemic, they relocated the lonchera to Fruitvale, where they encountered parking issues as the vendor count ballooned, so they moved to the sidewalk. With their food out in the open, sales boomed. 'People seek what they can see,' said Cynthia Solorsano. The most common sight at Shucos Magi is brawny churasco ($15), a fixed plate of juicy, grilled beef splashed with chimichurri; and longaniza, a pale, house-made sausage mottled with fresh mint. Charred green onions, smooth black beans, creamy pasta salad and thick Guatemalan tortillas round out the meal. Chapines (as Guatemalans are nicknamed) regard churasco as a symbol of festivity; for those untethered from home, the dish provides a semblance of familiarity. Cynthia sees a restaurant in the Shucos Magi's future, but she wants to stay nearby, because now, it's a Guatemalan hangout. What's the secret to the masterful pupusas at Pupuseria Fatima, run by wife-and-husband team Fatima Nuñez and Francisco Catacho? 'I think the flavor is in the hands,' said Nuñez. Those appendages are quick, seasoned tools that she uses to conjure up pupusas in seconds. Francisco swears his wife is the fastest pupusa-maker this side of El Salvador. The key difference in Fatima's pupusas is the beans, specifically pinto beans, instead of traditional red beans, that are whipped smooth. In the revuelta, the frijoles become a creamy binder for chicharron and cheese. Tear it open and behold a glorious sheen of savory richness. The pupuseria adapts to its clientele, evidenced by its green salsa, a spicy variant of the traditional, mild tomato salsa. Nuñez noticed her patron's penchant for spice, so she made a condiment that blends Mexican and Salvi flavor. 'A Salvadoran doesn't eat much chile, but I try to find what my clients like,' she told me. The couple moved to Oakland in 2019, after escaping the threat of gang violence in El Salvador. After Nuñez worked at her sister's pupusa cart, she knew Fruitvale would be a prime location for a stand of her own. She has diabetes, so she has difficulty keeping employment, but operating her own business, as she has since 2022, gives her more control. Pupuseria Fatima has been shut down as recently as last year. However, Nuñez has a backup plan in place: a mobile cart that she hopes to get permitted. For now, she's grown indifferent to the risk. 'This is how we live. We have to pay rent too, we have to take care of our kids,' she said. She has three. The middle child — Saul Catacho — can be spotted at the stand, doing homework, staring at his phone. I asked him: Who makes the best food here? He chuckled, as if there could be any other answer: 'My mom,' he said. El Sazon K-Tracho Honduran Baleadas have become a hot commodity in Fruitvale, with four separate stands offering the quesadilla-like dish. But no one makes it better than El Sazon K-Tracho, one of the newer additions to the line-up. El Sazon K-Tracho has already become a hit with the neighborhood's Catrachos, the colloquial term for Honduran people. 'There are a lot of Hondurans here,' said Darwin Fuetes Lara, who founded the stand with his wife and chef Carolina Vasquez. Much of El Sazon K-Tracho's success has to do with the excellence of Vasquez's tortillas, which are made a la minute. The recipe, which includes a bit of baking powder, and the hand-stretching gives her tortillas a pleasant chewiness. Vasquez can turn a wad of wheat into a 12-inch vinyl. With dough between her hands, she begins stretching it with a clap, which whips the flowy ends across her wrists. She gauges thickness and tugs at the ends as necessary. This dexterity brings vigor to her tortillas, which can so often-be lifeless when mass produced. For the sencilla, or plain, baleada ($6), she smears the tortilla with refried red beans, a handful of crumbled stinky cheese and a squirt of sour cream. For a more filling meal, add scrambled eggs ($7), chorizo ($9) or shredded chicken ($9). There are two approaches to eating a baleada: you can tear off pieces or gnaw on it like a caterpillar does a delicious leaf. Folding is also acceptable, but remember: 'It's not eaten with a fork,' said Vasquez. Before opening El Sazon K-Tracho in summer 2024, Lara had trouble finding a job. Today, the stand has become the couple's main source of income. He acknowledges the current temperature surrounding immigrants, but it does not deter him, he told me. 'In truth, we don't pay much attention,' he said, surrounded on all sides by industrious immigrants like him, 'because we're in a state where there's more opportunity to live here.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Walgreens staff detain man after alleged phone robbery: MPD
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man was held down by Walgreens' employees after he allegedly robbed a man of his phone on Wednesday in southeast Memphis, according to Memphis Police. Montoyous Hampton, 29, has been charged with robbery. His bond has not been set. He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. 29 of 49 Rolling Thunder suspects already out of jail On May 21, at 11:26 p.m., the victim called Memphis Police for help. He told police, as he was getting into his car in the Happy Mexican Restaurant parking lot at 7935 Winchester Road, that Hampton gestured to the victim like he had a gun. According to reports, Hampton took the victim's $500 Samsung Galaxy phone and fled to a Walgreens on Winchester. Police say the victim followed Hampton and told employees of the theft. Walgreens employees then called for police and held the man until police came. When police arrived, they identified the man being held as Montoyous Hampton and took him into custody. The victim was given his phone back and retrieved his phone. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Walgreens' Brooklyn Park MFC to support 200 stores across Midwest
US retailer Walgreens has opened a new micro-fulfilment centre (MFC) in Brooklyn Park in the US state of Minnesota, to support prescription dispensing and shipping. The facility will improve prescription processing, while minimising pharmacists' administrative duties. It is projected to handle 13 million prescriptions annually. The Brooklyn Park MFC will serve 200 Walgreens locations throughout the Midwest, of which 145 are in Minnesota. It will create 175 jobs and contribute substantial payroll and property tax revenues to the state and local county. Walgreens chief pharmacy officer Rick Gates stated: "Walgreens' investment in micro-fulfilment centres is another strategic step toward a brighter future for community pharmacy. Research shows that Americans want more health services at their local pharmacy, and micro-fulfilment centres help us meet those needs by allowing our pharmacists to do what they do best: spend more time with patients.' Micro-fulfilment centres use robotic technology within a centralised pharmacy setting to enhance the efficiency of dispensing and distribution to Walgreens' stores nationwide. With a network of 12 MFCs, Walgreens now supports 5,000 stores dispensing upwards of 3.5 million prescriptions on a weekly basis. These high-tech facilities have increased year-on-year shipped volumes from MFCs by 24%, with an average of 16 million prescriptions filled monthly. They manage 40% of total prescription volume by MFCs for stores using these facilities. The establishment of a recycling initiative across MFCs resulted in the recycling of 3.7 million pounds of materials such as cardboard, plastic and toner cartridges during the fiscal year 2024. Walgreens pharmacy operating model vice-president Kayla Heffington stated: 'Our pharmacists working in locations supported by our micro-fulfilment sites are spending less time filling prescriptions and more time on patient care, like providing medication adherence support or administering vaccines – all of which help strengthen the health of our communities and provide a better overall patient experience.' In April 2025, Walgreens consented to a $300m settlement of claims by US prosecutors that it unlawfully processed millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. "Walgreens' Brooklyn Park MFC to support 200 stores across Midwest" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Walgreens To Expand Use Of Prescription-Filling Robots, Cites $500 Million In Savings As Motive
Walgreens has plans to expand its use of robot-powered micro-fulfillment centers The centers currently serve 4,800 stores, and fill more than 16 million prescriptions each month The push for automation comes as Walgreens prepares to go private in a deal with Sycamore Partners Walgreens will be expanding its use of prescription-filling robots, CNBC reports. The pharmacy chain began using micro-fulfillment centers in 2021 before pausing the program in 2023 to focus on feedback and improvement. Now, it's working to add more in order to free up time for pharmacy staff, reduce time spent on routine tasks, and eliminate inventory waste. The robot-powered centers fill thousands of prescriptions for patients who use medication to manage conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. With those tasks automated, Walgreens told CNBC its pharmacy staff will have more time to interact directly with patients and perform clinical services like vaccinations and testing. Don't Miss: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — The company told CNBC it hopes to have 11 micro-fulfillment centers serving 5,000 locations by the end of the year. In February, there were 4,800 stores that utilized the micro-fulfillment centers. On average, these centers handled 40% of the prescription volume at the individual locations, Walgreens says, which translates to about 16 million prescriptions filled each month across all serviced stores. Kayla Heffington, Walgreens' pharmacy operating model vice president, told CNBC that the company's investment in automation is already paying off. The micro-fulfillment centers have generated $500 million in savings through their increased efficiency and reduction of excess inventory. Stores that use the centers are also administering 40% more vaccines than those that aren't, increasing profits. "Right now, [the micro-fulfillment centers] are the backbone to really help us offset some of the workload in our stores, to obviously allow more time for our pharmacists and technicians to spend time with patients," Rick Gates, Walgreens' chief pharmacy officer, told CNBC. "It gives us a lot more flexibility to bring down costs, to increase the care and increase speed to therapy – all those things." Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Gates added that he sees the micro-fulfillment centers as a competitive advantage for Walgreens, because many independent pharmacies and larger rivals don't have the centralized support. However, many of Walgreens' major competitors, like Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Kroger (NYSE:KR), and Albertsons (NYSE:ACI), already have, or are testing, their own versions of the micro-fulfilment facilities. There are, of course, risks that come with using these micro-fulfillment centers, like a reliance on sophisticated robotics that can cause major disruptions if errors occur. But for Walgreens, the rewards heavily outweigh the risks. Heffington told CNBC that the automated locations have helped reduce prescription fulfillment costs by nearly 13% year over year, and have increased prescription volume by 126%. The centers also allow the company to have real-time data on all prescription fulfillments, enabling its employees to provide better customer service. The renewed push for automation comes as Walgreens prepares to go private in a $10 billion deal with Sycamore Partners. The buyout is expected to be complete by the end of the year. Read Next: The team behind $6B+ in licensing deals is now building the next billion-dollar IP empire — Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Walgreens To Expand Use Of Prescription-Filling Robots, Cites $500 Million In Savings As Motive originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trusted Retail Chain Is Closing 500 Stores by August
Walgreens is retracting its retail footprint, with the trusted retail chain closing 500 stores across the U.S. this fiscal year alone. According to Yahoo Finance, the 500 stores are among 1,200 locations that Walgreens plans to shutter overall. According to Newsweek, Walgreens still runs about 8,500 stores throughout the United States. The 500 closures started in September 2024 and are expected to take place by August 2025, which is the end of the company's fiscal year, according to the Coloradoan. Walgreens closed 11 locations in Colorado, the Coloradoan reported, including three stores in April. Already, reports of Walgreens' closures are coming in throughout various states, which many occurring in March, April, and May. The chain has not provided a master list of closings. Walgreens is closing seven Connecticut locations in April and May. Nine locations closed in Massachusetts, mostly in March and April. A Kansas Walgreens closed in March. In December 2024, Walgreens closed two locations in Milwaukee, WI. According to a May 1, 2025, report by ABC 7, long lines were forming at the last remaining Walgreens in San Francisco's Mission District after the chain closed two dozen stores in the city, although some of those closures dated to 2000. Multiple stores are closing in California, including in Fresno, The Fresno Bee reported. Walgreens' website posted a list of suggestions for customers who are dealing with their local store's closing. When Walgreens first announced the closures in October 2024, a number of trends were blamed. According to The Associated Press, they include "shrinking prescription reimbursement, persistent theft, rising costs," and competition from online retailers. According to AP, the 500 closures span the company's fiscal year, which started in September 2024. Although Walgreens didn't provide a list, the company said it was closing "poor-performing stores where the property is owned by the company, or where leases are expiring," AP noted. CVS Health and Rite-Aid, which are two Walgreens' competitors, have been closing locations, too, according to in to access your portfolio
