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Mayor Lurie Celebrates New Small Business Pop-Ups As Part of Heart of the City Plan to Accelerate Downtown's Comeback
09/23/2025
[ Article originally appeared in www.sf.gov ]
Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a new lineup of small businesses as part of his Heart of the City executive directive to accelerate downtown San Francisco’s comeback. Through the Vacant to Vibrant program, the city is marking the launch of two new storefronts in formerly vacant spaces in Union Square and three Vacant to Vibrant businesses that are now expanding to long-term leases. The addition of storefronts downtown demonstrates Mayor Lurie’s work to bring businesses back to San Francisco’s commercial core. Mayor Lurie has made downtown revitalization a top priority in his administration, taking steps to cut red tape and keep San Francisco's streets safe and clean. To improve safety downtown, he introduced the San Francisco Police Department Hospitality Zone Task Force to keep downtown safe 365 days a year. In Union Square and the Financial District, crime is down more than 40%. To further drive the downtown comeback, Mayor Lurie is helping businesses of all sizes open and grow, while creating the conditions that lead companies to want to be in San Francisco. His PermitSF initiative has made common-sense reforms to the city’s permitting process, cutting red tape for business owners. “Through our new Heart of the City executive directive, our administration is accelerating San Francisco’s downtown recovery by supporting San Francisco’s small businesses,” said Mayor Lurie. “I’m thrilled to see Dandelion expanding to Union Square as part of our Vacant to Vibrant program, drawing both residents and visitors back to our downtown.” Since launching in 2023, Vacant to Vibrant, a partnership between the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) and nonprofit SF New Deal, has activated more than 20 storefronts, supported more than 30 small businesses, and helped secure more than a dozen permanent leases across downtown San Francisco, including in the Financial District, Union Square, Yerba Buena, Soma and East Cut. The two local concepts opening downtown as part of the next chapter of Vacant to Vibrant include:
“We are thrilled to be a part of the Vacant to Vibrant initiative and to have an opportunity to bring our bean-to-bar chocolate to Union Square—a neighborhood that’s not too far from our factory in the Mission,” said Todd Masonis, CEO of Dandelion Chocolate. “It’s great knowing that our collective efforts will help revitalize downtown San Francisco while celebrating the local small business community.” “Finally opening in downtown San Francisco feels like a dream coming full circle. The Wild Fox has always been about sparking moments of curiosity and comfort, and there’s no better place to share that than right in the heart of the city,” said The Wild Fox Co-Owners Liza Otanes and Rich Lee. “None of this would be possible without the incredible support and enthusiasm we’ve felt—from our guests and fans to the Vacant to Vibrant team and the Mayor’s Office. It’s inspiring to see so many people fighting every day to make San Francisco the best city in the world. To be part of that movement, and to add our own small spark with The Wild Fox, is something truly special.” Dandelion and The Wild Fox follow the successful spring and summer openings of the Vacant to Vibrant pop-ups announced by Mayor Lurie, including:
SF New Deal provides ongoing support to small businesses transitioning from pop-up to permanent operations with additional financial resources and technical assistance to operate long-term. Beyond signing long-term leases at their Vacant to Vibrant locations, the following businesses have expanded their footprint downtown, signing additional brick and mortar locations:
“Opening a second location in downtown San Francisco is both exciting and humbling. Through Vacant to Vibrant, I was able to bring my first concept to life downtown, and now I see how creative, independent businesses like mine can play a real role in reimagining the heart of the city,” said Mo Abdelmeguid, Hungry Crumbs and Hungry Tables Owner. “Hungry Tables is about more than food—it's about creating spaces that bring people together, and I’m proud to be part of the energy transforming San Francisco’s downtown.” Downtown’s momentum is accelerating with a wave of new business openings. Since January 2025, 24 restaurants, cafes, entertainment and other venues have opened or signed leases in Yerba Buena, 11 have opened in the Financial District, and five new businesses have opened in the East Cut, with three more scheduled by the end of the year. Union Square has seen 15 new store openings, including Nintendo’s new flagship store, which has drawn record crowds. Additional anticipated arrivals include PopMart, a new Zara flagship, and the Eighth Rule, a bar in the Westin St. Francis by Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and celebrity chef Michael Mina. “Downtown’s comeback is accelerating every day with small and medium businesses bringing new life and energy to empty storefronts, larger businesses bringing workers back to the office every day, exciting street activations that are drawing people to the neighborhood like never before, and AI driving down office vacancy rates,” said OEWD executive director Anne Taupier. “It’s clear that San Francisco is moving beyond recovery and into a new period of rapid growth, and we will continue to support this upswing by making it easier for business to start, stay, and grow here as we march toward a more resilient economy.” The latest Vacant to Vibrant expansion comes on the heels of the return and expansion of another revitalization program, Downtown Entertainment and Nightlife Revitalization Grants (ENRG). First piloted in 2024 as a partnership between OEWD and SF New Deal, Downtown ENRG offers funding and support for small businesses to host live arts, culture, and nightlife events in the heart of San Francisco. Now solely managed and funded by SF New Deal, the program returns with an expanded vision that includes enhanced training and broader outreach to small businesses and neighborhoods. “Vacant to Vibrant and Downtown ENRG show what’s possible when San Francisco’s creativity and small business owners are given the space to shine,” said SF New Deal’s executive director Simon Bertrang. “By transforming empty spaces into thriving storefronts and fueling arts and nightlife, our programs are not only filling downtown with new energy, they are building lasting futures for local small businesses and creating the kind of diverse, vibrant neighborhoods that make this city one-of-a-kind.”
Each ENRG grantee will receive up to $20,000 in grant funding to launch recurring live entertainment events, plus tailored support from technical assistance providers and training in event production, marketing, and budgeting. Back To News |
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