STREET TALK | CYNTHIA TRAINA
A year after first announcing it was closing its store near Fillmore and Geary — and over the impassioned pleas of its neighbors — Safeway has set a final day for the store: February 7.
The company cited “ongoing concerns about associate and customer safety, as well as persistent issues with theft.” Last year the store’s self-checkout kiosks were removed. There have been numerous reports of car break-ins and other criminal activity in the parking lot.
In a letter to Mayor London Breed, Safeway wrote: “We appreciate the time and resources you’ve invested in trying to help us find a way to stay open, but unfortunately, the challenges we face are too great to overcome.”
At a community meeting at SFPD’s Northern Station on Tuesday night, officers expressed concern about how effectively Safeway would secure the building and parking lot after the store closes. The company promised to “ensure a smooth and secure closure of the store, while allowing for continued access and traffic flow to neighboring businesses.”
Also closing: After 12 years at 2259 Fillmore, the high-end clothing boutique Alice + Olivia will close permanently on December 15. To mark the occasion, the store will host a neighborhood party starting at 3 p.m. on December 14. Longtime customers have also been sent coupons for last-minute deals. … After 32 years at 2401 Bush, Silver Glass and Mirror has closed. Owner Rosalba Martinez says the company will continue operations from its location at 715 Bryant Street. Hayes Auto Repair will remain in the building. It’s a historic structure designed by noted architect Timothy Pflueger as a Model T showroom and garage.
Restaurant news: Great gulps of relief greeted the news that La Mediterranee has finally reached an agreement with the new owners of its building to remain at 2210 Fillmore through 2028. Said one fan: “It wouldn’t be Fillmore without them.”
More details are emerging about 1800 Fillmore, formerly home of Pizza Inferno, where low-profile restaurateur Kevin Chen will further expand his empire. Chen’s Nono, which opened last year at 1730 Fillmore, has been so successful it will soon relocate to the much larger space on the corner. Chen plans to transform the original Nono location into a ramen bar, with both projects scheduled to open in early 2025. … Chen also owns Bubu at 2417 California and other restaurants in the city.
Notice that the liquor license of the shuttered Noosh, at Fillmore and Pine, is being transferred has been posted in the window, but details are still under wraps. The transfer is to Alphabet of the Trees, LLC. Cody Allen, project manager of what’s being called the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project, which now owns the building, would give no clues. The SF Biz Times reports that Allen himself will be opening a restaurant in the space. … The delicious rumor that a return of super chefs Sayat and Laura Ozyilmaz was in the works is not true, Sayat says. The chefs — forced out of Noosh by their business partner, John Litz — are now being celebrated for their new and highly lauded Dalida in the Presidio.
Legacy business: Russian Hill Dog Spa, located at 2178 Bush, has been listed as a legacy business. Owner Leonard Montgomery opened his dog grooming business on Hyde Street in 1994. The business kept its original name when it relocated to the neighborhood in 2008. … The spa is known for catering to high-profile clients including the late Senator Dianne Feinstein and George and Charlotte Shultz.
Still for sale: The Victorian at 2224 Bush — longtime home of Unity church — briefly became Liberty Cannabis during the early days of the cannabis gold rush following legalization. Now the building is a testament to the volatility of the cannabis market. Purchased by Liberty for $6 million, it’s now empty and listed at $3.9 million.
Next door, the building that once housed chef Charles Phan’s Out the Door restaurant and his family residence upstairs remains on the market for $5.5 million. The restaurant space is now occupied by Mattina restaurant, owned by chef Matthew Accarrino, who also owns SPQR around the corner on Fillmore.
Cynthia Traina is a longtime Fillmore resident and a residential agent with Vantage Realty. Send items and ideas for Street Talk to CT@cynthiatraina.com.
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