An iconic Bay Area landmark may soon be preparing to close its doors in San Francisco, the owner said — and he blamed rampant crime, drug use, and a “litany of destructive” policies that were making the current situation unsustainable.
John Chachas, who owns the luxury department store Gump’s, laid out his concerns in a letter addressed to Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Mayor London Breed (D-S.F.), and the Board of Supervisors, who represent the city and county of San Francisco. That letter was published as a full-page advertisement in The San Francisco Chronicle.
OPEN LETTER from a San Francisco legacy business. This letter, a full-page newspaper ad published today. It summarizes what majority of residents lament. pic.twitter.com/2WlcSHTrxR
— Richie Greenberg (@greenbergnation) August 13, 2023
“Gump’s has been a San Francisco icon for more than 165 years. Today, as we prepare for our 166th holiday season at 250 Post Street, we fear this may be our last because of the profound erosion of this city’s conditions,” Chachas wrote, acknowledging that some of the difficulties could still be stemming from COVID-related lockdowns and the fact that many who worked in nearby offices had been encouraged and even ordered to remain at home.
“Equally devastating have been a litany of destructive San Francisco strategies, including allowing the homeless to occupy our sidewalks, to openly distribute and use illegal drugs, to harass the public and to defile the city’s streets,” Chachas continued, referring to such policies as the effective enactment of a “tyranny of the minority.”
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“Such abject disregard for civilized conduct makes San Francisco unlivable for its residents, unsafe for our employees, and unwelcoming to visitors from around the world,” Chachas said, adding, “San Francisco deserves better.”
But Chachas did more than simply complain about what he believed had gone wrong in the city – he also offered suggestions that he said could help restore the city “to its rightful place as one of America’s shining beacons of urban society.”
He called on elected officials to start by removing homeless camps and cleaning the streets, and said they should allow law enforcement to enforce the local and state laws that were already in place, adding, “We will continue to support the compassionate efforts of helping those in need. But we believe failed public policies must be abandoned and a renewed focus must be brought to restore the city we all love.”