The Legacy Business list was first established in 2016, with 9 recipients gaining that title and its protections. In 2017, over 50 businesses that were considered of historical and/or cultural relevance were added to the list. While the list isn't exactly a guarantee of survival for any business, the status does offer some financial assistance and gives the rest of us some hope that our favorite local institutions will still be around in 2018 and beyond.
In a nutshell, here's how the Legacy Business Program works:
A business is eligible for Legacy Business status if it's been open for at least 30 years (although some exceptions to this rule are made), receives a nomination from the mayor or Board of Supervisors, and gets final approval from the Small Business Commission.
In 2015, voters agreed to create the Legacy Business Historic Preservation Fund, that would provide grants to both Legacy Business owners and property owners who agree to lease extensions with Legacy Business tenants. "It was the first legislation in the nation to recognize notable small businesses as historic assets and incentivize their preservation," according to the San Francisco Office of Small Business.
"Through the Legacy Business Historic Preservation Fund, Legacy Businesses on the registry may receive Business Assistance Grants of $500 per full-time employee per year, while landlords who extend the leases of such businesses for at least 10 years may receive Rent Stabilization Grants of $4.50 per square foot of space leased per year. The business grants will be capped at $50,000 annually; the landlord grants will be capped at $22,500 a year."
Some highlights on the list:
Some tried-and-true favorites made this year’s list, including El Rio, DNA Lounge, and Elbo Room; Noriega Produce (one of the family-run locations owned by Konstantinos “Gus” Vardakastanis, the well-known local grocer who was tragically killed after a hit-and-run in the Bayview in September 2017); as well as Flax Art & Design which remade itself in 2016 with two new locations, one in Oakland and one in Fort Mason.
One surprising name on the list was BrainWash, the laundromat, cafe, and local comedy spot in the SoMA which had also gone out of business in 2017. Other puzzling additions for this year were the touristy chain Boudin's Bakery, and sex shop Good Vibrations.
Among the Legacy Businesses making headlines in 2017 is Oddball Films, which was added to the list in 2016. In 2017, owner and film archivist Stephen Parr passed away at at 63-years-old.
For some good news, we turn to the Cartoon Art Museum. Since announcing their move in 2015 (which they swear was an amicable decision with its landlords) the Cartoon Art Museum has been in between locations, operating as a nomadic entity with a niche following awaiting its return. Finally in 2017, and with a grand opening planned this month, the Cartoon Art Museum now has a more permanent homebase near Ghirardelli Square.
One 2016 Legacy Business that I had to double-check was Luxor Cabs. With its two-star rating on Yelp, it has managed to outlive San Francisco’s largest cab service, Yellow Cab, which filed for bankruptcy in 2016.
(Map of all the businesses added to the Legacy Business Registry.)
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Here's the complete list of Legacy Businesses added in 2017:
Acción Latina
2958 24th Street
Analytical Psychology Club
2411 Octavia Street, #1
ArtHaus Gallery
411 Brannan Street
The Ave Bar
1607 Ocean Avenue
Avedano’s Holly Park Market
235 Cortland Avenue
Beck’s Motor Lodge
2222 Market Street
Beep’s Burgers
1051 Ocean Avenue
Books Inc.
2251 Chestnut Street
3515 California Street
601 Van Ness Avenue
Boudin Bakery
Multiple Locations
BrainWash (Now Closed)
1122 Folsom Street
Brownies Hardware
1563 Polk Street
Cable Car Clothiers
110 Sutter Street, Suite 108
Cal’s Automotive Center
1004 Treat Avenue
Canessa Gallery
708 Montgomery Street
Date placed on Registry: June 12, 2017
Casa Sanchez
250 Napoleon Street Unit M
Chinese Historical Society of America
965 Clay Street
Cinderella Bakery and Café
436 Balboa St.
Cliff’s Variety
479 Castro Street
DNA Lounge
375 Eleventh Street
Donaldina Cameron House
920 Sacramento St.
Eddie’s Cafe
800 Divisadero Street
El Rio
3158 Mission Street
Elbo Room
647 Valencia Street
Elite Sport Soccer
1773 Haight St.
2637 Mission St.
Ermico Enterprises, Inc.
120 Mississippi Street
Faxon Garage
545 Faxon Avenue
FLAX art & design
Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd, Bldg D
Gino and Carlo
548 Green Street
Good Vibrations
Multiple Locations
Great American Music Hall
859 O'Farrell Street
Hwa Rang Kwan Martial Arts Center
90 Welsh Street
Izzy’s Steaks and Chops
3345 Steiner Street
Jeffrey’s Toys
45 Kearny Street (Opening Soon)
(510) 898-1507 (Berkeley Store)
Joe’s Ice Cream
5420 Geary Boulevard
Little Joe’s Pizzeria
5006 Mission Street
Long Boat Jewelry
754 Grant Avenue
Nihonmachi Little Friends
1830 Sutter Street
Noriega Produce
3821 Noriega Street
Ocean Hair Design
1619 Ocean Avenue
One Twenty For Hair
155 Main Street
Pacitas Salvadorean Bakery
10 Persia Avenue
Perry’s San Francisco
1944 Union Street
Phoenix Arts Association Theatre
414 Mason Street
Project Inform
273 Ninth Street
Real Food Company
2140 Polk Street
Red and White Fleet
Pier 43 1/2, Fisherman's Wharf
Retro Fit Vintage
910 Valencia Street
Rolo San Francisco, Inc.
1301 Howard Street
2351 Market Street
Rooky Ricardo’s Records
448 Haight Street
Ruby Sailing
Office: 1129 Folsom Street
Boat Dock: 835 Terry A. Francois Blvd.
Russian Hill Bookstore
2162 Polk Street
San Francisco Eagle Bar
398 12th Street
Shanti Project
730 Polk Street #3 (Headquarters)
3170 23rd Street (PAWS)
Spectacles of Union Square
177 Maiden Lane
Tommaso’s Italiano Ristorante
1042 Kearny Street
