A San Francisco business that has served the community for 35 years will close its doors for the last time later this week after enduring daily thefts along with a series of robberies.
The owners of Bayside Market, located in the city’s South Beach area, say that constant thefts coupled with a lack of action by local police have made the situation “unbearable” and that closing the store is now the only option.
Co-owner David Pesusic has said costs and crime were the driving factors behind the decision to close. He places the blame squarely on the inaction of local politicians.
“Our family business is going down the drain because the idiots at City Hall can’t protect us,” he said. Chronicle of San Francisco.
Bayside Market, located in the city’s South Beach area, says constant thefts coupled with a lack of action by local police means the location will close this week after 35 years.
In a letter to customers posted on the doorstep, David Pesusic expanded on his comments and explained his reasons for closing after more than three decades in business.
In a letter to his loyal customers sent to the door, David Pesusic expanded on his comments and explained his reasons for closing after more than three decades in business.
“All City Hall cares about is the homeless and the fentanyl crisis, not ordinary law-abiding citizens trying to make a living,” Pesusic wrote in a message posted on the front door of Bayside Market.
Pesusic said city officials were doing nothing to stop open drug use in the area or help prevent daily robberies at the store.
“In that sense, having to deal with shoplifters every day and multiple thefts has become unbearable, especially when the police make no arrests and the city does not prosecute,” he wrote.
“We’ve had numerous incidents with shoplifters,” Pesusic said. Gate of Saint Francis“We’ve called the police and they haven’t turned up. How can you continue running your business if there’s no one to come and help? It’s absolutely frustrating.”
An increase in the electric bill to $8,000 per month, coupled with a drop in sales due to the store’s lease ending, were factors that influenced the store’s imminent closure.
City officials appear to be doing little to stop open drug use in the vicinity or help prevent daily robberies at the store.
The co-owner of Bayside Market says he feels there is a complete indifference to incidents of theft by local police and that there are no longer calls to report crimes because no one comes forward.
A map reveals the major companies that have left, or announced they will leave, San Francisco in recent months. Retailers like Whole Foods, Anthropologie, Old Navy, AmazonGo, Saks Off Fifth and now American Eagle are among those participating in the mass exodus.
But Pesusic cites constant incidents of shoplifting as one of the main reasons for leaving the business.
“There are too many scammers, so we decided to close the shop. It’s sad, because we’ve been there for 35 years,” Pesusic said. “We shouldn’t be in this situation, but we can’t survive.”
Three weeks ago, staff attempted to prevent an individual from escaping with several items when he suddenly became violent towards workers.
The man removed his belt and began swinging the metal buckle of the belt over his head. Worried about the customers, Pesusic called 911 for help, but no one showed up.
Store manager Ricardo Quintero agrees there have been more crime-related incidents in recent years, including two robberies at the store in the past two years.
He believes that there is total indifference to incidents on the part of the local police and that there are no longer calls to report crimes.
“We were looking and waiting for changes, but it doesn’t seem like there are any changes on the horizon,” Quintero said.
The bleak reality of San Francisco’s empty downtown was laid bare earlier this year with images showing every store on an entire block of businesses shuttered and empty.
These prime areas once housed stores like Uniqlo, H&M, Rasputin Records and Lush, but they have all disappeared into a city centre plagued by crime, drugs and homelessness.
San Francisco is reeling from rising crime, an empty downtown and residents moving to safer, cheaper areas.
The Austin tech worker was stunned by his visit to the Bay Area, which is in the midst of a drug crisis. Pictured: Homeless people using drugs in the city in 2022
In fact, crime in the city decreased in the first quarter of 2024, with declines in all major crime categories tracked, including homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, arson, larceny, and motor vehicle theft.
But part of the reason may be that fewer people bother to report it.
“We don’t even call 911 anymore because they don’t answer,” Pesusic told the Chronicle‘It’s not fun playing security/police and trying to keep my inventory.
“These guys think our store is a pantry where they can take whatever they want. They’ve spat on us, pulled knives on us, insulted us,” Pesusic said.
Some of the store’s 12 workers will be moved to a second location while the rest will be laid off.
Matt Dorsey, who sits on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, says he understands why Pesusic is closing down the shutters.
“I don’t blame anyone for giving up and it breaks my heart to see it,” Dorsey told the Chronicle. “I feel like I have to apologize on behalf of my city.”
Dorsey has said it is drug use combined with an ineffective drug policy that has created the perfect storm.
Lax bail reform policies mean that anyone caught stealing or facing drug possession charges is simply released and back on the streets, sometimes later that same day. This provides little incentive to prevent repeat offenders from committing their crimes.
“It doesn’t help small businesses like Bayside Market that are facing rampant drug-fueled theft and violence, and it doesn’t help anyone with a substance use disorder,” Dorsey said. “I think we need to adopt more enforcement interventions.”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has said the time for compassion is over when it comes to dealing with the city’s homeless crisis, which has left the streets littered with feces.
Earlier this summer, San Francisco’s fed-up mayor said the time for compassion was over as she announced plans to address the city’s homeless crisis that has left locals fearing for their safety.
Mayor London Breed revealed that the city is willing to take a “very aggressive” approach to removing the encampments from the streets that have plagued the Bay Area City for the past four years.
Parts of the city, including the troubled Tenderloin district, have become known for their squalor and squalor, to the point that local businesses are unable to hire staff and residents have been forced to flee.
The crime-ridden downtown has seen many shops and restaurants close since its drastic decline, even though Breed attempted to exaggerate statistics by claiming crime was down in 2023.
In October 2023, it was reported that seven Starbucks stores were planning to close as the city continues to grapple with crime, drug use, and homelessness.
In late August 2023, a video was posted showing the recently closed Nordstrom flagship store in San Francisco, which was nearly empty after nearly three decades in operation.
Homeless people congregate downtown, pushing their belongings in shopping carts or sitting in duffel bags, waiting for city services like referrals for shelter, food or clothing, or mental health and substance abuse treatment.
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