San Francisco business Bayside Market shuts after 35 years following daily shoplifting and multiple break-ins

A San Francisco business that has served the community for 35 years is closing its doors for the last time later this week after it has struggled with daily shoplifting and a series of break-ins.

The owners of Bayside Market, located in the city’s South Beach neighborhood, say the ongoing thefts combined with the lack of action from local law enforcement have made the situation “unbearable” and that closing the store is now the only option.

Co-owner David Pesusic has said that cost and crime were the driving factors behind the decision to close, and he blames the lack of action by local politicians.

“Our family business is going under because the idiots at city hall can’t protect us,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle.

In a letter to customers posted on David Pesusic’s doorstep courtesy of the company, he elaborated on his comments and explained why he was closing the doors after more than three decades in business

In a letter to loyal customers, which he sent to their doors, David Pesusic expanded on his comments and explained why he was closing after more than three decades in the business.

“All City Hall cares about is the homeless and the fentanyl crisis, not everyday law-abiding citizens trying to make a living,” Pesusic wrote in a letter taped to the front door of Bayside Market.

According to Pesusic, city officials did nothing to stop open drug use in the neighborhood, nor did they help prevent daily thefts from the store.

“That’s why it has become unbearable to deal with shoplifters and multiple burglaries every day, especially when the police make no arrests and the city doesn’t prosecute,” he wrote.

“We have had numerous incidents with shoplifters,” Pesusic said SF port. ‘We called the police, and they never showed up. How do you stay in business when there’s no one to show up and help? It’s absolutely frustrating.’

An increase in the electric bill to $8,000 per month, combined with a decline in sales due to the expiration of the store’s lease, were all factors that led to the store’s impending closure.

It appears that city officials are doing little to stop open drug use in the neighborhood, nor to prevent daily thefts from the store.

The co-owner of Bayside Market says he feels like local police are completely indifferent to incidents of theft and that he no longer calls to report crimes because no one shows up.

A map shows which major companies have left San Francisco in recent months or announced plans to leave. Retailers like Whole Foods, Anthropologie, Old Navy, AmazonGo, Saks Off Fifth and now American Eagle are among those joining the mass exodus.

According to Pesusic, the constant shoplifting is one of the main reasons for quitting.

“There are too many disadvantages, so we decided to close the store. It’s sad because we’ve been here for 35 years,” Pesusic said. “We shouldn’t be in this situation, but we can’t survive.”

Three weeks ago, employees tried to stop a man who wanted to run off with some items, when they suddenly became aggressive towards the employees.

The man took off his belt and began swinging the metal buckle portion of the belt over his head. Out of concern for the customers, Pesusic called 911 for help, but no one showed up.

According to the store’s manager, Ricardo Quintero, there have been more crime-related incidents in recent years, including two burglaries in the store in the past two years.

He believes that the local police are completely indifferent to the incidents and no longer call to report crimes.

“We were hoping for changes, but it looks like there are no changes on the horizon,” Quintero said.

The desolate reality of San Francisco’s hollowed-out city center was laid bare earlier this year when images showed every store on an entire block closed and empty.

This prime location was once home to the likes of Uniqlo, H&M, Rasputin Records and Lush, but all have disappeared in a city centre plagued by crime, drugs and homelessness.

San Francisco is reeling from rising crime, a depopulating city center and residents moving to safer, cheaper areas

The Austin tech worker was stunned by his visit to the Bay Area, which is in the grip of a drug crisis. Pictured: Homeless people using drugs in the city in 2022

Crime in the city actually fell in the first quarter of 2024, with declines in all major crime categories, including murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, arson, theft and motor vehicle theft.

But part of the reason may also be that fewer people bother to report it.

“We don’t even call 911 anymore because they don’t respond,” Pesusic told the Chronicle‘It’s no fun playing security/police officer and trying to hold on to my inventory.

“These guys think our store is a pantry where they can get whatever they want. We’ve been spat at, knives pulled on us, cursed at,” Pesusic said.

Some of the store’s 12 employees are moving to a second location, while the rest are being laid off.

San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Matt Dorsey says he understands why Pesusic is closing.

“I don’t blame anyone who gives up and it breaks my heart to see that,” Dorsey told the Chronicle. “I feel like I need to apologize on behalf of my city.”

Dorsey says drug use combined with ineffective drug policies is the cause of the massive storm.

The lax bail reform policy means that anyone caught stealing or facing drug charges is simply released back onto the streets, sometimes later the same day. It does little to deter repeat offenders from committing their crimes.

“It doesn’t help small businesses like Bayside Market, which have rampant drug-related theft and violence, and it certainly doesn’t help anyone with a substance use disorder,” Dorsey said. “I think we need to have more coercive interventions.”

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has said the time for compassion is over when it comes to dealing with the city’s homelessness crisis, which has left streets covered in feces

Earlier this summer, San Francisco’s mayor said the time for compassion is over, announcing plans to address the city’s homeless crisis that has left residents fearful for their safety.

Mayor London Breed announced that the city will take a “very aggressive” approach to removing the street encampments that have marred the city by the bay for the past four years.

Certain parts of the city, including the Tenderloin, are known for their poverty and misery. The situation has become so bad that local businesses can no longer hire employees and residents feel forced to flee.

The crime-ridden city centre has seen many shops and restaurants close since its drastic decline, despite Breed attempting to inflate the statistics by claiming the number of offences will have fallen by 2023.

In October 2023, it was reported that seven Starbucks locations were planning to close due to the city’s ongoing problems with crime, drug use and homelessness.

In late August 2023, a video was released showing the recently closed Nordstrom flagship store in San Francisco looking virtually empty after nearly three decades.

Homeless people gather in the city centre, pushing their belongings into shopping trolleys or sitting on sports bags, waiting for municipal services such as referrals for shelter, food or clothing, or treatment for mental health or substance abuse problems.