A Entire Meals in Downtown San Francisco introduced on Monday that it would be closing its doorways to “guarantee the protection” of its employees, the San Francisco Commonplace reported. The practically 65,000-square-foot location had solely been open for a yr.
In November, the shop applied a brand new rest room coverage that required visitors to indicate a receipt to safety guards earlier than gaining entry. The transfer was prompted after syringes and pipes have been discovered within the rest room, one employee instructed the outlet. One other employee mentioned some folks would “replenish suitcases” earlier than coming into the toilet.
“Our neighborhood waited a very long time for this grocery store, however we’re additionally effectively conscious of issues they’ve skilled with drug-related retail theft, adjoining drug markets, and the numerous questions of safety associated to them,” San Francisco Board of Supervisors Matt Dorsey wrote in a Twitter put up.
I am extremely disillusioned however sadly unsurprised by the momentary closure of Mid-Market’s Entire Meals. (1/7) https://t.co/lthpC90xTL
— Matt Dorsey (@mattdorsey) April 10, 2023
Whereas violent crime in San Francisco is low, theft and theft crimes are reportedly within the 1000’s annually, in response to metropolis police knowledge. When in contrast to St. Louis, Missouri, which was famous as America’s most harmful metropolis by MoneyGeek, San Francisco lags considerably behind within the price of violent crime. Nonetheless, when accounting for property crime, the 2 cities are solely separated by a bit over one knowledge level.
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The prevalence of theft and vandalism has affected companies all through town. Small enterprise proprietor Denise Huynh, who owns Tay Ho Vietnamese restaurant in Oakland, described the present setting as a “battle zone,” to the San Francisco Chronicle. Huynh’s restaurant was sufferer to 3 break-ins in March alone.
“I am afraid to listen to my telephone beep within the early morning as a result of it is the factor I dread probably the most. It is a type of nightmares that retains recurring,” she instructed the outlet.
Matt Meyer and Daniel Paez, the homeowners of Low Bar, a cocktail bar on Webster Road, instructed the outlet that their storefront was burglarized 5 occasions in 5 weeks between December and January. They mentioned they funneled tens of 1000’s of {dollars} into safety upgrades for his or her bar, a monetary burden on high of the inevitable prices of working a enterprise.
“We wish this neighborhood to thrive,” Paez added. “We’re simply making an attempt to guard ourselves so we will proceed being right here.”