Whole Foods' San Francisco flagship store is closing after just one year of operation.
The Amazon (AMZN)-owned grocery retailer, popular for its organic produce and healthy snack alternatives, announced it would be closing due to a dramatic uptick in crime and theft both in its store and in the surrounding area. No reopening date has been given.
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"To ensure the safety of our Team Members, we have made the difficult decision to close the Trinity store for the time being," a Whole Foods Market spokesperson said in an email. "All Team Members will be transferred to one of our nearby locations."
"If we feel we can ensure the safety of our team members in the store, we will evaluate a reopening of our Trinity location."
According to a City Hall source familiar with the matter, Whole Foods blames unsafe neighborhood conditions, drug use, and crime for the closure.
In October 2022, the brand-new location cut its operating hours because of "high theft" and escalating hostility in the area. In November 2022, it changed its bathroom policy after finding syringes and other drug-related materials inside the public areas.
Crime in San Francisco Is Soaring
In 2022, this Whole Foods location was touted as San Francisco's "Flagship" store and much fanfare was made about its opening.
"Whole Foods Market will open its new 64,737-square-foot San Francisco flagship store at Trinity Place (1185 Market Street) in San Francisco’s Mid-Market neighborhood on Thursday, March 10," a Feb. 2022 press release said ahead of its opening. "The store’s design nods to classic San Francisco with inspiration from the former Crystal Palace Market, the modern, industrial feel of the Tenderloin district and the iconic colors of the Golden Gate Bridge."
San Francisco's Mid-Market used to be a bustling area, home to many upscale bars, restaurants, and small businesses. But with the flight of nearly 8% of the Bay Area population during the pandemic, few folks are returning.
To make matters worse, San Francisco has been grappling with an exploding crime rate in recent years.
The city's crime rate is 111% higher than the national crime rate average and 91% higher than the California average, according to Property Club. San Francisco's violent crime rate is 40% higher than the national average.
Earlier in April, Cash App founder Bob Lee was stabbed to death just blocks from the Mid-Market Whole Foods location, in what is being called an "early morning mugging."
San Francisco has a roughly $800 million budget deficit and its police department has lost over 330 officers since 2017.
