Safeway recently announced that they are planning to close their 350 Bay Street location effective May 27th. This closure will deeply impact some 20,000 residents within a half-mile of the store across neighborhoods of North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf, Russian Hill, and Telegraph Hill. Safeway is the only full-scale grocery store in our neighborhood and the most affordable option for seniors, families, and low-income residents.

In our neighborhood, we take pride in shopping locally and we frequent corner stores and farmers markets. But, we also know there’s a place for a larger-scale, more affordable grocery store. The Safeway closure will immediately make it more expensive for thousands of our neighbors to buy groceries.

So, what can we do? We can make it known that we want another affordable grocery store to replace Safeway. A number of stores could work, but at the moment Grocery Outlet is the most realistic option. Please sign this petition to make it clear that we want a new grocery store to open! This will serve as proof for Grocery Outlet (or any other potential store) that there is demand and interest. Sign this petition if you agree!

Why Grocery Outlet?

They’re Affordable: Grocery Outlet is consistently one of the most affordable grocery store options. In fact, a recent SFGate article compared prices of food staples across San Francisco grocery stores and found that Grocery Outlet was 21% more affordable than Safeway.

They’re Interested: Grocery Outlet has expressed interest in opening a store nearby in the past. With Safeway closed, now is the time to bring them back to take a second look.

They’re Local: Grocery Outlet is a third-generation family run business that is headquartered in Emeryville. Most of their stores are run by local franchise owners.

They’re Expanding: Grocery Outlet has indicated that California is one of their priority markets for growth. San Francisco already has successful locations in The Richmond, The Mission, The Bayview, Portola, and Visitacion Valley.

The current Safeway location in NorthPoint Center is not viable since the building is being sold soon. But, there is more than 100,000 square feet of vacant retail space within two blocks of the Safeway that is available. These locations will still serve our residents well.

A final note: As anyone who shopped at the Safeway knows, it was not a perfect store. It had inventory and staffing issues. Worse yet, San Francisco’s own challenges spilled into the store, with theft and assaults being all too common. Calling for a new grocery store also means facing these challenges so the next business is one that can thrive and keep employees and shoppers safe.