This San Francisco Deli Chain Is About to Close Its Final Two Locations

this san francisco deli chain is about to close its final two locations

Lee’s Deli is closing the last two locations of the San Francisco-grown business.

Downtown San Francisco is about to lose two of its go-to destinations for sandwiches and coffee. Lee’s Deli, a homegrown business that once spanned 12 locations throughout the city, will close its final two outposts at 303 2nd Street and 280 Battery Street. The San Francisco Business Times confirmed the closures with owner and co-founder Lee Quan who said finances have not added up after the pandemic took out the other eight. “It’s not just a business that gets destroyed, but a legacy for my family,” Quan told the outlet.

Quan said he feels the city hasn’t done much to support small businesses throughout the pandemic and in its aftermath. He pointed to the city-mandated minimum wage increase voters approved in 2014, which upgrades workers’ pay each year based on the Consumer Price Index. Further, he acknowledges he’s now approaching 80 years old and doesn’t have the energy for this project. Lee’s Deli opened in 1983 with an original location on Kearny Street, a half mile from where Lee grew up in Chinatown.

New dumpling spot opens on Valencia Street

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Longtime Castro seafood restaurant closes

Market Street restaurant Catch will close for good on March 9 after 22 years serving petrale sole in the city. Owner Sanjay Gujral told Hoodline that at 62-years-old he’s ready to retire. The restaurant is well-loved amongst LGBTQIA+ activists including Cleve Jones, who Gujral anticipates will come by before the lights go off. “It’s going to be sad and at the [same] time it’s going to be a relief,” Gujral told the outlet of the closing.

Oakland deli fined $10,000 for dumping

Even though he spends a reported $1,800 a month cleaning up garbage near his restaurant, Stay Gold Deli owner Jason Herbers was fined $10,000 for excess litter by the city of Oakland. The Chronicle reported Herbers is considering a lawsuit to fight the charges, as he contends he does not dump illegally or litter; he alleges his neighbors overfill the site.

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