San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf is about to receive a $10 million facelift to draw visitors back to the area.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism to the Whard has dropped significantly, impacting local businesses. Six of the city's largest seafood restaurants didn't survive, including Alioto's, which opened in 1925.
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WATCH HEREThe port and the city have not been able to find tenants for the shuttered restaurants. And the number of visitors to the area has dropped by 33% since 2019.
"It’s a tourist area. They need more space and more opportunities," said Cliff of San Francisco.
The vision for the 100-year-old Alioto's property would be to expose people to what they normally would only be able to see by walking the breezeway.
The waterfront and all the fishing boats would be exposed because they plan on tearing down the restaurant and making it an open plaza area.
Don McFarland, owner of Sabella & La Torre, said that since the pandemic, business is down at least 30% during the work week.
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He said he hopes the plan will help save his family-owned business of 99 years.
"I think the plan they put out is an excellent plan, and I think it will bring a lot of people down, especially if they make it where it’s not blocked off and you can go down and see the boats and water," he said.
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SIGN UP The port commission will discuss the plan at its meeting on Tuesday and is looking for public comment.
