The owner of a beloved San Francisco restaurant that opened more than 60 years ago has decided to close shop for good, blaming the city for not supporting business owners amid a homelessness crisis and the aftermath of the pandemic.
HRD Coffee Shop opened its doors in 1953 as a modest establishment serving workers in the city’s downtown area – and eventually became a staple caterer to the city’s tech giants like software company Salesforce.
The restaurant even appeared on The Food Network several times, with Guy Fieri trying one its famous kimchi burritos.
But Sydney Saidyan, its current owner, told The San Francisco Standard the situation in the city became untenable, and he and his advisers decided to shut down the place back in May.
‘I would love to remain in San Francisco as a business. But the question is, would any sane person?’ Saidyan told the outlet.
HRD Coffee Shop will be closing its doors after more than 60 years serving San Francisco
The restaurant was staple caterer to the city’s tech giants and appeared on The Food Network various times. Guy Fieri is pictured with the founders’ nephew, chef David Yeung
The business had issues with the city’s waste department and a homeless encampment near its doors. (A different encampment downtown is pictured above)
The businessman explained the restaurant suffered great losses during the pandemic shutdown of the city, as they were not even allowed to set up outdoor dining.
According to Saidyan, the business was losing as much as $20,000 every month. Moreover, he said the restaurant’s landlord ‘did not play the right game with us during the pandemic.’
‘At the end, we just couldn’t keep the doors open because of the lack of support from the city and the landlord.’ Saidyan explained. ‘Unfortunately, the city does not see us as a partner.’
The business also had issues with California over taxes, as well as the city’s waste department and a homeless encampment near its doors.
San Francisco’s downtown area has suffered a huge loss of businesses and tourism as the city deals with a crime and fentanyl pandemic.
The city’s once bustling Union Square and downtown area is a shadow of its former self: rows of empty stores, sparse crowds even on peak weekend shopping days and nearby hotels – including a huge Hilton – unable to cover their mortgage payments.
Westfield Mall recently announced it has been forced to stop making mortgage payments due to the loss of business. In 2016, the property was appraised at $1.2 billion, but a stark decline saw the mall hit with years of looting, soft policing and open-air drug taking.
While the HRD’s last day of business was last Friday, the official closing date is tomorrow, June 30.
The restaurant was founded over six decades ago by Ben Chan, a Chinese immigrant, who opened up the breakfast place in what used to be the U.S. Social Security Administration’s human resources department during World War II.
The restaurant saw a boom after a 2013 remodeling that saw it start to serve a mix of Mexican and Chinese, with distribution deals for its bottled sauces and popular kimchi burritos
San Francisco’s downtown area has suffered a huge loss of businesses and tourism as the city deals with a crime and fentanyl pandemic
A map reveals the major businesses which have left, or plan to leave, San Francisco in recent months. Westfield, the most recent to announced its departure, will give up its huge mall – and several occupants have already said they intend to follow
Chan reportedly chose the name of the restaurant after he was asked what he would call his new business. Because the business had the letters HRD, referring to the former human-resource department office, he went with HRD.
In 2009 Chan’s nephew David Yeung and his partner Joanna Banks took over the business, aided by Saidyan.
‘I’m a custodian of that man’s dream in 1953. I am proud to say I’m leaving it with my head high,’ the current owner said.
The restaurant saw a boom after a 2013 remodeling that saw it start to serve a mix of Mexican and Chinese, with distribution deals for its bottled sauces and popular kimchi burritos.
During one Food Network appearance, Guy Fieri talked to Yeung about how the ingredients were chosen and cooked with the staff.
The TV personality eventually even deemed the spicy pork kimchi burrito one of the ‘most-insane’ ones he ever ate.
‘We wanted to combine the flavors that we like to eat,’ Yeung told Fieri.
But the buzz around the restaurant, which was featured regularly on The Food Network and had a catering deal the San Francisco Giants, was not enough to keep its doors open.
When asked if he would be open to relocating, Saidyan replied that he was open to moving to other areas of the city, but it would take support from the city and the right investment.
