Philz Coffee is planning to take over the former Russian Hill Bookstore storefront at 2230 Polk Street which has been vacant for five months. As proposed, while the interior of the Polk Street space would be renovated, the exterior would remain relatively the same, save some new signage. But... Read More »

Having ground to a halt last year, waylaid by the late delivery of its custom designed glass skin, construction on the 139 new Hayes Valley condos at 555 Fulton Street is back underway. And having laid the groundwork for a formula retailer to operate the development’s 25,000-square-foot grocery store... Read More »

Sweaty Betty, the London-based retailer which is “famous for reversible yoga pants, statement prints, bum-sculpting leggings and technical fabrics…that take you from bar to barre,” has quietly filed an application to open up shop in Cow Hollow. The proposed location at 2046 Union Street, which was formerly occupied by... Read More »

While San Francisco’s Planning Department had recommended the City’s Planning Commission support a modified prohibition on new Formula Retail establishments along the Polk Street corridor, with an exception for developments where the ratio of residential uses to new formula retail was at least 3:1, the Commission voted 4 to... Read More »

With the neighborhood fight over the former Lombardi Sports site at 1600 Jackson Street having reached a fevered pitch, and battle lines having been drawn over a proposed Whole Foods 365, the City’s Planning Commission is poised to institute a prohibition on new Formula Retail establishments opening along the... Read More »

Blue Bottle Coffee is pushing forward with plans to combine the former Tully’s Coffee and adjacent Juicy News storefronts on the southwest corner of Fillmore and Jackson into a single space and café which would serve treats baked off-site by Tartine as well. Standing in the way of Blue... Read More »

While San Francisco’s Zoning Administrator has given AMC a thumbs up with respect to plans for adding a bar within the AMC Metreon 16 at Mission and Fourth (from which beer, wine and spirits would be sold and allowed to be taken into the theaters), as the chain’s “MacGuffins” bar qualifies as... Read More »

Prepared in response to proposed legislation which would further expand formula retail controls in San Francisco, San Francisco’s Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) has concluded that formula retail controls could actually hurt consumers and the local economy. Research by the OEA suggests that local retailers charge prices that average... Read More »

With the Metro Theater conversion nearing completion next door, San Francisco’s Planning Commission is set to vote on whether to allow Nike to take over and renovate the former Rugby storefront at 2071 Union Street which has sat vacant since January of 2013. Despite being formula retail, the Planning... Read More »

In 2004, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors adopted San Francisco’s first “formula retail” use controls, adding Section 703.3 (“Formula Retail Uses”) to San Francisco’s Planning Code to establish a definition of formula retail and a regulatory framework “to protect a diverse retail base with distinct neighborhood retailing personalities comprised... Read More »