More businesses choosing to call SF's Castro home

  • by John Ferrannini, Assistant Editor
  • Wednesday October 2, 2024
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Solidcore will formally open its Castro location at 2175 Market Street October 6. Photo: Courtesy Solidcore
Solidcore will formally open its Castro location at 2175 Market Street October 6. Photo: Courtesy Solidcore

Castro Street Fair weekend is the LGBTQ neighborhood's opportunity to showcase a number of new businesses that have launched in the past year — including one that is having its grand opening the same day as the fair.

That business, Solidcore, is a gym at 2175 Market Street, between 14th and 15th streets. There are locations in 25 states and the District of Columbia, and the Castro location's grand opening will be Sunday, October 6, though it has already soft opened.

Asked why Castro denizens should sign up for Solidcore and not other gyms in the area, Alyssa Shaw, a straight ally who is the chief operations officer of Solidcore, told the Bay Area Reporter that "the effectiveness of the workout helps us stand out."

"It's a 50-minute, full body workout that utilizes movements scientifically designed to break down muscle so they build back stronger," she said in a phone interview. "We focus on intensity, efficiency, and results."

Unlike nearby Barry's at 2280 Market Street — whose lease is up in 2040 as the City and County of San Francisco has bought the building for use as an LGBTQ history museum — Solidcore won't have a bar for protein shakes.

"We have a really simple studio layout," Shaw said. "The focus is on community. There's a front lobby where everyone can hang out and build relationships and freshen up before or after class, but no smoothie bar."

Shaw said the classes will be from "early morning to later in the evening after dinner."

As for prices, Shaw said that "for our new locations we have special deals that are really locally specific, so they're more than welcome to go out to the studio and talk to the team about those specific deals for Castro or they can visit the app or our website."

A visit to the website for the Castro location revealed that signing up for four classes a month yields a price of $31 per class. People can also sign up for eight classes per month (at $27 per class), 12 classes per month (at $21 per class), or unlimited classes (at $19 per class).

Asked why Solidcore was drawn to the Castro, Shaw said that Solidcore is "offering a great place for people to step into the strongest version of themselves, and a place of inclusion and belonging where they can build strong relationships. We're thrilled to be here."

"We looked at a lot of locations around the area and were drawn to the Castro for its diverse and active population and its rich LGBTQIA community — their history and culture," she continued. "The community's sense of belonging and inclusivity was really important to us as well, and the neighborhood stands for everything we stand for at Solidcore."

Neighborhood stakeholders see improvement

It's that sense of belonging and inclusivity that has made the Castro a beacon for LGBTQ and allied business owners seeking to corner that diverse and active market. But as the B.A.R. has extensively reported, the same COVID-era and post-COVID malaise that has impacted San Francisco's downtown and its tourism industry has not left the Castro unscathed, as vacant storefronts — visible before the pandemic — continued to increase.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported September 25 that the Castro-Upper Market neighborhood saw a 25% reduction in sales tax revenue from 2019 to the present. (Of San Francisco neighborhoods the Chronicle studied, only Japantown and the Presidio saw increases.)

But the situation is improving, neighborhood stakeholders agree.

Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who used to represent District 8 (including the Castro) on the Board of Supervisors, told the B.A.R. that things in his home neighborhood are looking up.

"Despite various challenges, new businesses continue to open in the Castro," he stated. "Combined with robust public investment, the neighborhood has a bright future."

His successor on the board, incumbent Rafael Mandelman, agreed, stating, "The future of America's best gayborhood is getting brighter all the time."

Hi Tops co-manager Colm O'Brien has opened Bar 49 at 2295 Market Street. Photo: John Ferrannini  

"For many years the Castro has suffered from a high rate of ground floor commercial vacancies, so it's especially exciting to see so many businesses opening this year and so many long-term vacancies getting filled," Mandelman stated. "From Klein Epstein & Parker to Fisch & Flore to Bar 49 to Epicurean Trader to Taboo — and those are just some of the new businesses — it's been a great year for openings in the neighborhood."

Terry Asten Bennett, a straight ally who is co-owner of Cliff's Variety and president of the Castro Merchants Association, stated to the B.A.R., "I am very excited to see so many new businesses opening in the Castro.

"Filled and vibrant store fronts are key to a healthy community," she continued.

Andrea Aiello, a lesbian, is the executive director of the Castro Community Benefit District, which has been running the "I'm Available" campaign to highlight vacant storefronts to real estate agents.

"It's great to see long term vacancies, particularly in the 400 block of Castro Street, being filled. The Castro CBD wishes these entrepreneurs well," she stated to the B.A.R.

These include Fratelli Pizza at 460 Castro Street, which opened quietly just before Pride weekend, and Body at 450 Castro Street, which opened quietly September 20. A cashier at Body confirmed to the B.A.R. that the new store selling energy drinks, snacks, and lingerie retains the name Body, the clothing store that was in the location until its 2019 closure after a fire. The manager of the new Body didn't return a message seeking comment, and Fratelli Pizza didn't return multiple messages seeking comment.

Q Bar at 456 Castro Street is co-owned by Cip Cipriano, a gay man who told the B.A.R. in 2023 that he wanted to open by Pride; then, when that didn't happen, teased a September 2023 reopening. However, the space remains shuttered, and Cipriano has not returned a request for comment from the B.A.R. (including for this report) since October 4, 2023, when he stated, "We won't announce a date until we have everything completely done."

The CBD itself helped to fill a vacancy at 549A Castro Street; the B.A.R. reported last month that it moved there from its old office at 693 14th Street.

Across Castro Street, Joshua J. Cook, a gay man who manages the Beaux nightclub at 2344 Market Street and is a member of, and the spokesperson for, the ownership group that took over the old Harvey's space at 500 Castro Street to create a new nightclub called Pink Swallow, told the B.A.R. September 24 that he has "no specific updates" on when that space will open, but that they're "getting ready to go into the permit application process."

Cook had told the B.A.R. over the summer that work on Pink Swallow had been held up due to an outdated kitchen. The B.A.R. reported in February that the city's planning commission approved a conditional use authorization that month to establish a nighttime entertainment zone on the first and second floors of the space.

"It's still moving forward," Cook stated in the summer. "There was a small pause as the owners of the building investigated or discovered what needed to happen to bring the kitchen to current city codes. I don't think it'd been brought to code for decades to be honest, so it took exploration to figure out what to do."

Pink Swallow had been slated to open by summer 2024 — Cook stated that the group doesn't have an estimated opening time, but it'll happen hopefully sometime next year, he stated.

"We already received a conditional use permit and now we're getting ready to apply for permits with all the different departments in the city, and we'll be accepting bids from general contractors," he said, later stressing the opening time depends on that permitting process.

Bar 49 was opened by Hi Tops co-manager Colm O'Brien at 2295 Market Street, the former location of Los Amigos Diner and the Baghdad Cafe. O'Brien stated to the B.A.R. that "business has been very steady and positive."

"Summer months are generally slow but I had lots of locals come in to check out the new improved space," O'Brien stated to the B.A.R. "Weekend brunch has been good for business too. We open at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday."

O'Brien agrees that the neighborhood is seeing more life — but that recovery is ongoing.

"There's lots of positive moves in the Castro this year after many years of closures but I do feel it's going to take more time to get things back to where they were pre-pandemic," he stated.

Taboo's co-owner Ismael De Luna, left, welcomed San Francisco Mayor London Breed to the grand opening of his Castro location September 21. Photo: Steven Underhill  

Not just bars
New businesses opening up in the Castro aren't just bars. Take the new salon Taboo, for example, at 2352 Market Street. San Francisco Mayor London Breed showed up at its opening September 21.

The Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development touted Taboo as a success story of Breed's First Year Free program, which waives the cost of initial registration, license, and first-year permit fees for businesses.

"We say we support our small businesses, but we've made it hard for them to do business," Breed said at the ribbon-cutting event. "My office of economic and workforce development has been an important part of making the investments necessary to get to yes."

Taboo also received an SF Shines grant and a Storefront Opportunity Grant. It's Ismael De Luna's second business on the same block, as De Luna also owns Healing Cuts at 2350 Market Street.

De Luna, who co-owns Taboo, told the B.A.R. in a phone interview that "the concept started literally about a year ago. There was a vision that is lovely, and we put the idea to paper and going through the process."

That concept is a salon that provides hair services, manicures, pedicures, and waxing among other services. The basic facial goes for $30.

"In other words, from head to toes," he said. "Thank you to London Breed for supporting all these new projects that help keep us in San Francisco providing the services we provide."

De Luna, who said he is LGBTQ+, made it a point that he's open to hiring LGBTQ people and immigrants such as himself.

"We actually are very supportive when it comes to asylum seekers, or people from other countries coming for a better life, in search of the American dream," he said.

Taboo is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., De Luna said.

Like Solidcore, Epicurean Trader at 2240 Market Street is not only a bit down Market Street from Castro Street but also has a number of other locations. Co-owner Holly McDell is one half of a husband-and-wife duo whose first store opened up in Bernal Heights nine years ago. Epicurean Trader has five locations, including its newest in the Castro, which opened late June, she told the B.A.R.

Epicurean Trader is touting its breakfast sandwich options, selections of wines and cheeses, and a forthcoming smoothie bar. It opens at 6:30 a.m. weekdays.

Asked September 25 how business is doing, McDell said, "We didn't put any marketing into our operation because our building permits got delayed, so it's been a little slower, but we are going to do a grand opening next month with neighborhood merchants and promote it a lot more."

The store is also going to launch a wine happy hour with cheese and charcuterie plates in hopes of becoming "a place people can stop by after work," she said.

Epicurean Trader serves Tartine pastries and Wisesons bagels already, she said. There's a parklet where people can eat outside the store.

Sniff and Go, a dog-walking business, opened at 2338 Market Street, next to Beaux. Its owner didn't return a request for comment.

It's not all openings in the Castro, either, as the Spanish and Mexican restaurant Copas closed quietly last spring at 2223 Market Street. The liquor license was transferred back to its owner.

Surviving the tough San Francisco business climate can be rewarding for those who make it long-term; case in point is Sui Generis at 2231 Market Street, which is celebrating its 18th anniversary this weekend.

For the occasion, the consignment store will be providing an 18% discount October 4 through October 6, according to gay co-founder and owner Miguel Lopez.

"We started very small in the neighborhood ... back on Church Street," he said. "I thank the neighborhood for its support throughout the years."

Lopez said his store has been at its current location since 2011 and that in the past year, "I've noticed it picking up in this area with Bar 49 and Fisch and Flore," he said, referring to the restaurant that opened in the old Cafe Flore space at 2298 Market Street in April.

Lopez said his store's focus on recycled fashion fills "a niche needed in this economy" — and like Solidcore and other businesses in this report, his business is seeking to align with the values of the community and the city.

"It's really nice to still offer a service needed by the community," he said. "We live in San Francisco, one of the most green cities in the whole country. The city has always supported sustainability."



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