BizTips
Openings, closings, and other life changes on the small-business scene
THERE IS, sadly, a long list of S.F. restaurants that have
shuttered over the past uneasy year or two, and yet the openings continue.
In the last few months we've seen several: Castro teahouse Samovar
(498 Sanchez, S.F. 415-626-4700, www.samovartea.com)
opened in June to serve San Franciscans seasonal blends from around
the world as well as tiny sandwiches and other light fare.
Spices! II (291 Sixth Ave., S.F. 415-752-8885), a summer sequel
to the original Spices! on Eighth Avenue, blends various Chinese cuisine
styles under one spicy roof. The recent Mission District arrival of
New York's Buffalo Wings (665 Valencia, S.F. 415-863-7755;
there's also a branch on Lombard) presents a question for readers
transplanted from upstate New York: can a West Coast restaurant do
justice to this regional delicacy? (Let us know your thoughts.)
• • •
The stretch of Valencia where Buffalo wings now roam continues to be transformed by the ebb and flow of commercial enterprise. The Lunch Club (561 Valencia, S.F. 415-252-1000) arrived in May and was recently joined by next-door neighbor Subterranean San Francisco (563 Valencia, S.F. 415-431-9504), selling clothes to match the celebrated footwear on offer down the street at Subterranean Shoe Room, and next-to-next-door neighbor Valencia Street Books (569 Valencia, S.F. 415-552-7200), a warm, inviting shop with gorgeous hardwood floors and some comfy chairs up front for tired readers. Proprietor Amanda Cotten moved over from Union Street, where she ran now-closed Solar Light Books. Cotten decided on a name change for the new location, she says, after repeatedly hearing from people who'd passed Solar by, prompted by the (incorrect) assumption that Solar, which took its name back in the sunny '70s, sold New Age titles. Meanwhile, Alternative Design Studio Hats (415-255-2787) has closed its 18th Street boutique doors and will soon be hanging its hats a little farther down Valencia near New College. The 25-year-old ADS sells its own line as well as designs by artists from around the world. Look for your vintage-esque cloche or knit winter headgear at 758 Valencia in early September.
Post mortem The Upper Haight's Hoy's Sports shut its doors this weekend after a closing sale.
Got a tip? Send it to biztips@sfbg.com.
