San Francisco

Safeway to Close SF's North Beach Location

The last day the Safeway location will be open is May 27. Its employees are expected to be offered positions at other stores.

NBC Universal, Inc.

It's about to get harder for many in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood to get their groceries.

Safeway said that next month it will permanently close its store at the North Point Shopping Center.

For people who live within walking distance of the Safeway on Bay Street, located near Fisherman's Wharf, news that the store is closing at the end of next month was a disappointment.

"A lot of people will go to Trader Joes and then come here and get different kids of things," said Safeway shopper Carly.

"Just now. I got adobo peppers in sauce and I know Trader Joes doesn't have that. They have a lot more of the ethnic stuff, I could be able to get so conveniently," said Safeway shopper Laura.

Customers told NBC Bay Area Monday that they're going to miss the convenience of having a Safeway on one corner and a Trader Joes on the other.

But Safeway closing their Fisherman's Wharf store, it's going to be a big deal for a lot of the businesses that are inside that shopping center as well.

Customers said the North Point shopping center has been losing tenants for a few years now.

"Once that Walgreens closed at the beginning of the pandemic, I think that was the beginning of the end for the complex," Laura said.

A statement from Safeway about closing the Bay Street supermarket read in part, "We continuously evaluate the performance of our stores, and occasionally it's necessary to close locations that aren't meeting financial expectations."

The loss of Safeway is a major concern for the few businesses that are still at the shopping center.

NBC Bay Area talked with workers and owners of five of the stores in the mall Monday. They all said off camera that they're worried this will mean fewer customers coming in and they've tried asking the shopping center management about their leases.

NBC Bay Area tried reaching management as well, they have not responded to NBC Bay Area's attempts to contact them.

The last day the Safeway location will be open is May 27. Its employees are expected to be offered positions at other stores.

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