Here we go again, as a person who has worked on and off Downtown since 1993, the expansion of night time hours for non-restaurant retailers has been thrown around like a volleyball since then. Some don’t think it would work, but ironically the longest running retailer downtown, Zandbroz, has been open for nights for years, and if it was hurting business, they would have ended the night time hours years ago.
I have often said if I were a downtown retailer that sold wooden geese, boutique dresses or cheese, I would be open from 11-7 or 8 PM. I have never understood the day time hours of these businesses.
I encourage retailers to try it out for at least a summer, and I recommend 80-100% participation. It won’t work if just a couple more do it. If we want Downtown to thrive, we need to start operating it like a big city Downtown and not a Podunk Downtown. In other words more shopping and entertainment opportunities and MORE FOOD TRUCKS at night!
Amen. When I first moved to SF in ’07 I lived in the Carpenter building. Loved the building, loved the location, could never figure out why so much of DTSF shuttered itself at 5 p.m. I mean, I could kind of figure it out – a lot of the retail DT was targeted at a much different (read: senior) crowd.
But you hit it right on the head when you said that everyone has to get on board with longer hours. There needs to be more synergy between the kind of crowds the restaurants draw and the kind of crowds that the retail establishments draw. In the end, it’ll be best for the city. And that may mean some changes to the retail mix, and that’s okay too. The stores that sell the wooden geese and ethnically-inspired trinkets are novel but is that the kind of atmosphere the city aspires to? An oversized resort town filled with people selling tchotchkes?
An idea who’s time has come.
From my experiences investigating European business practices, I offer the following to consider. Amsterdam – the typical non restaurant shop opens about 10:00 am. Closes from 12:-2:00 for lunch (people working in offices are looking for food, as are small shop employees.) Opens again from 2:00 to 8:00. The morning hours are used mostly for receiving, stocking, inventory and so on. In conjunction, restaurants are open from 7:00 or so to 10:00 for breakfast, closed from 10:00-12:00, open again from 12:00 – 3:00ish, closed from 3:00 to 6:00, open from 6:00 – or 11:00. meanwhile, bars don’t open ’til at least 9:00 or 10:00 PM and are open until the larger of the wee hours – 4:00 or 5:00 am.
For this to happen, downtown retail has to move away from stores run by rich housewives with tax-deductible “hobbies” selling to their friends to “real” businesses.
Scott (#4) gets it right, again. The best reason for downtown and The Bridges is so rich bankers and doctors can make their wives seem important. If they keep wives occupied or shopping, they find time for passion with their mistresses.
When marijuana becomes legal, downtown is perfect for 24 hour dispensaries with upstairs grow parlors.
Dan – another ting SD will be last in the nation at. Exports from other states will be more feasible to any start-ups here.