Crime and homelessness in the once-glorious City by the Bay have claimed another well-loved business.
Jeffrey's toys. The apparently inspired “Toy Story” franchise announced this week that the family business, which opened in San Francisco 85 years ago in 1938 as a variety store, will close “in a couple of weeks “.
“As we head towards the finish line (in a couple of weeks) we want to thank ALL of the wonderful people who have been part of the Jeffereys family. [sic],” the store said on its Facebook page while announcing a clearance sale.
“We're heartbroken,” co-owner Rosie Luhn said San Francisco Business TimesAlex Barreira “We hung on until we couldn't anymore. Everyone left the city. San Francisco always comes back, but it will probably take another three years.”
“The store will close next month,” said Ken Sterling, an attorney for the Luhn family. San Francisco Chronicle. “The store has been struggling for a number of years due to the dangers and violence of the inner city environment, inflation, declining consumer spending and the demise of retail worldwide” .
“The family is sad that it has come to this and we have explored all other options to try to keep the business going,” Sterling said. “The leadership of the City of San Francisco and the Downtown Association have their work cut out for them on how to revitalize what was once a vibrant and fun downtown experience. We are working through this complex situation with property owners and lenders and, at this time, I have advised my clients not to be interviewed by the press.”
(Video: YouTube)
In mid-December, Matthew Luhn, who co-owns Jeffrey's with his father, Mark Luhn, and stepmother, Rosie, said SFGate that the oldest toy store in town was struggling.
“We want to stay in business, but we need a healthier relationship with the city,” he said. “We're putting our money, we're working hard and we're putting our love into it. But, in the relationship we have with the city, this is not returned”.
Foot traffic has plummeted in recent years, and Matthew and his father have been dipping into their retirement funds to keep the store alive.
“My dad and I, we're not quitters, we just don't come from a quitter family,” Matthew said. “Every year we say we'll hang on for one more year and then we keep taking money out of our own retirement accounts.”
“We're one of the oldest family stores in town, but they're all slowly disappearing,” Luhn said. NBC Bay Area in december “I hope things change, but I know we can't continue to cover the loss every month without the city's help.”
As BizPac Review has reported, several San Francisco businesses have found it impossible to compete with the revolving door of homeless thieves and drug addicts that plague the city.
Last August, Nordstrom closed its flagship store in the now closed Westfield Mall.
Bleak scene as Nordstrom closes its former flagship store in San Francisco https://t.co/pBppxDfhej road @BIZPACRevision
— Based on BPR (@DumpstrFireNews) August 28, 2023
In October, despite pleas and leaks from San Francisco business owners, and amid warnings from economists that San Francisco was spiraling into a “death loop,” progressive Mayor London Breed asked the Departments of city, including police and public health, which proposed $206 million budget cuts.
San Francisco mayor calls for $206 million in cuts: Police, public health hit hardest https://t.co/yD1G6NHWrB road @BIZPACRevision
— Based on BPR (@DumpstrFireNews) October 22, 2023
“San Francisco's economic reality remains challenging,” Breed told department heads at the time. The cuts, he said, are “imperative … to ensure we can meet the needs of our residents while being fiscally responsible.”
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you're sick of letting radical tech execs, bogus fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals, and the lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news, consider donating to BPR to help us fight back them. Now is the time. The truth has never been more critical!
Success! Thanks for donating. Please share BPR content to help fight lies.
We have zero tolerance for comments that contain violence, racism, profanity, profanity, doxing, or rude behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it, click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for engaging with us in a fruitful conversation.
English 
Español de Venezuela 