The luxury department store Gump’s has been in the city of San Francisco for 166 years and owner John Chachas has announced they may be closing their doors for good.
Chachas, published an open letter addressed to Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Breed, and the city’s board of supervisors in the San Francisco Chronicle; he didn’t pull any punches.
“Gump’s has been a San Francisco icon for more than 165 years. Today, as we prepare for our 166th holiday season at 250 Post Street, we fear this may be our last because of the profound erosion of this city’s conditions,” Chachas wrote.
“Equally devastating have been a litany of destructive San Francisco strategies, including allowing the homeless to occupy our sidewalks, to openly distribute and use illegal drugs, to harass the public and to defile the city’s streets,” Chachas continued, referring to such policies as the “tyranny of the minority.”
“Such abject disregard for civilized conduct makes San Francisco unlivable for its residents, unsafe for our employees, and unwelcoming to visitors from around the world,” Chachas said, adding, “San Francisco deserves better.”
Chachas didn’t just complain he tried to offer solutions in hope of restoring the city “to its rightful place as one of America’s shining beacons of urban society.”
The owner called on city officials to remove homeless camps, clean the streets, and enforce the law currently on the books.
“We will continue to support the compassionate efforts of helping those in need. But we believe failed public policies must be abandoned and a renewed focus must be brought to restore the city we all love,” he added.
OPEN LETTER from a San Francisco legacy business. This letter, a full-page newspaper ad published today. It summarizes what majority of residents lament. pic.twitter.com/2WlcSHTrxR
— Richie Greenberg (@greenbergnation) August 13, 2023
Who would have thought enforcing the laws on the books would be such a novel concept.
