2 natural foods markets in Cole Valley, Outer Richmond to close
Walter Thompson, Hoodline
Published 6:23 pm, Sunday, January 21, 2018
-
-
-
-
-
window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-c',
container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5',
placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5',
target_type: 'mix'
});
_taboola.push({flush: true});
-
-
-
-
-
window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-c',
container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-10',
placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 10',
target_type: 'mix'
});
_taboola.push({flush: true});
-
-
-
-
-
window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-c',
container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-15',
placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 15',
target_type: 'mix'
});
_taboola.push({flush: true});
-
-
-
-
-
window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-c',
container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-20',
placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 20',
target_type: 'mix'
});
_taboola.push({flush: true});
-
-
-
-
-
window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-c',
container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-25',
placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 25',
target_type: 'mix'
});
_taboola.push({flush: true});
-
-
-
-
-
window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-c',
container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-30',
placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 30',
target_type: 'mix'
});
_taboola.push({flush: true});
-
-
-
-
-
window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-c',
container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-35',
placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 35',
target_type: 'mix'
});
_taboola.push({flush: true});
-
-
-
-
window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: 'thumbnails-c',
container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-39',
placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 39',
target_type: 'mix'
});
_taboola.push({flush: true});
Photo: Walter Thompson/Hoodline
Real Foods Fresh Organics in Cole Valley (1032 Stanyan St. at Carl), soon to be closed.
Real Foods Fresh Organics in Cole Valley (1032 Stanyan St. at Carl), soon to be closed.
Real Foods Fresh Organics in Cole Valley (1032 Stanyan St. at Carl), soon to be closed.
Real Foods Fresh Organics in Cole Valley (1032 Stanyan St. at Carl), soon to be closed.
Real Foods Fresh Organics in Cole Valley (1032 Stanyan St. at Carl), soon to be closed.
Real Foods Fresh Organics in Cole Valley (1032 Stanyan St. at Carl), soon to be closed.
Click through this slideshow to see the restaurants and businesses closed for the "Day Without Immigrants."
Cafe VenueSan Francisco
Click through this slideshow to see the restaurants and businesses closed for the "Day Without Immigrants."
Cafe Venue
San Francisco
Caffe TriesteSan Francisco
Caffe Trieste
San Francisco
Rudy's Can't Fail CafeEmeryville & Oakland
Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe
Emeryville & Oakland
Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle
Gazzali's Supermarket Oakland
Gazzali's Supermarket
Oakland
Photo: Easom S. Via Yelp
Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle
Half Moon Bay Brewing Company Half Moon Bay
"
The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company takes great pride in our staff and we appreciate their commitment to providing our customers quality food and service, and we fully support our staff in honoring this movement."
Half Moon Bay Brewing Company
Half Moon Bay
"
The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company takes great pride in our staff and we appreciate their commitment to providing our customers quality food and service, and we fully
Photo: Kale Williams
Ananda Fuara San Francisco
Ananda Fuara
San Francisco
Photo: Kurt Rogers, The Chronicle
Chavez Supermarket and Taqueria 10 Bay Area locations
Chavez Supermarket and Taqueria
10 Bay Area locations
Photo: Chavez Supermarket Via Yelp
El Rancho Supermarket Menlo Park
"
We want our immigrant community to know that they have our full support and it is our hope that everyone recognizes the positive contributions of immigrants to our local communities and more importantly to this amazing country."
El Rancho Supermarket
Menlo Park
"
We want our immigrant community to know that they have our full support and it is our hope that everyone recognizes the positive contributions of immigrants to our local
Photo: Adolf G. Via Yelp
Photo: Melanie P. Via Yelp
Photo: Jen Fedrizzi, Special To The Chronicle
Rancho Mendoza Super Mercado Santa Rosa
Rancho Mendoza Super Mercado
Santa Rosa
Photo: Susan K. Via Yelp
Tacos el Grullense E&ERedwood City
Tacos el Grullense E&E
Redwood City
Photo: Manny Chavez/Courtesy
State, visual arts gallery
San Francisco
State
, visual arts gallery
San Francisco
Photo: Instagram Screenshot
Little Chihuahua San Francisco
Little Chihuahua
San Francisco
Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle
Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle
Photo: Jen Fedrizzi, Special To The Chronicle
Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle
Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle
TacubayaBerkeley
"Doña Tomás and our sister restaurant,
Tacubaya will be CLOSED Thursday, February 16 in
SOLIDARITY with A Day Without Immigrants Strike."
Tacubaya
Berkeley
"Doña Tomás and our sister restaurant,
Tacubaya will be CLOSED Thursday, February 16 in
SOLIDARITY with A Day Without Immigrants Strike."
Photo: Lance Iversen, SFC
Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle
Photo: Jason Henry, Special To The Chronicle
Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle
Full Belly Farm Guinda
"Almost all of Full Belly’s staff chose to participate in the strike planned for Thursday February 16, in which immigrants across the country will bring attention to the importance of their work in our economy."
less
Full Belly Farm
Guinda
"Almost all of Full Belly’s staff chose to participate in the strike planned for Thursday February 16, in which immigrants across the country will bring attention to the importance of
... more
Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle
Papalote Mexican Grill San Francisco
Papalote Mexican Grill
San Francisco
Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle
Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle
2 natural foods markets in Cole Valley, Outer Richmond to close
Two natural-foods markets in Cole Valley and the Outer Richmond are holding clearance sales before they permanently close, Hoodline has learned.
Employees at Real Foods Fresh Organics in Cole Valley (1032 Stanyan St. at Carl) and Thom's Fresh Organics (5843 Geary Blvd. at 23rd Ave.) said they learned of the closures in the last 24 hours.
ALSO READ: See inside Ippudo's huge new San Francisco outpost
All products have been marked down 10 to 30 percent. Although workers will continue to restock bread and milk, there are no plans to reorder produce and other inventory, they said.
"It feels like we were an institution," said a longtime employee of the Stanyan store who asked to remain anonymous. "It's a tough retail environment, and we're not in exactly the best location," they added, compared to a Whole Foods market at Haight and Stanyan or Luke's Local, two blocks away on Cole Street.
"This wasn't exactly unexpected," the worker said. "We were hoping they'd hold on to it until we turned it around," a nod to the store's 15-person part-time staff.
An employee at Thom's Fresh Organics, which employs approximately nine people part-time, said staff were notified yesterday, but the announcement comes "after a lot of neglect," noting that a cooler has been broken for weeks, the location's been under an extended hiring freeze, and the space lacks central heating.
"We're not surprised, but of course, we're angry," they said. "Almost everybody walking through is saying what a shame it is, because this place could really be a very thriving business."
The stores, which were founded by Jane and Kimball Allen, were sold to Nutraceutical in 2002, along with a now-closed location in Noe Valley which shuttered when its staff was laid off in a labor dispute. To settle that claim, the company was ordered to pay workers $371,219.
Last year, the Utah-based natural products company, which once operated more than 20 markets, scaled back retail operations after it was acquired by HGGC, a private equity group co-founded by former 49ers quarterback Steve Young.
"The company is restructuring," said a Thom's employee. "We were told that the west coast locations would remain open, but I guess they decided otherwise."
ALSO READ: Managers quit Oakland restaurant where owner is accused of harassment
According to employees, Nutraceutical representatives said stores will stay open until most of the inventory is sold. Workers said equipment, fixtures and furniture are all available for sale.
"It's been extremely difficult to stay," said a Thom's worker, "but most of us live in the neighborhood and walk to work, so that's why we're all still here."
A call to Nutraceutical's corporate office was not returned before this story was submitted for publication.
"It's sad to lose a small store in a nice neighborhood," said another Real Foods employee who started recently. "I can find work anywhere, but I don't know where I'm going to find another place like this."
