Score one for San Francisco’s small makers: SFMade opened its first permanent Union Square storefront on Tuesday, giving 105 local artisans and manufacturers a year-round place to sell their work. The shop brings locally made goods into a retail district where larger stores are expected to expand in coming months.
The store occupies a 1,049-square-foot space at 373 Geary St., at the base of the Handlery Hotel. Its shelves feature products made in San Francisco, from bedazzled dog jackets and paper earrings shaped like butterfly wings to sequin coats trimmed with fur. The new SFMade storefront replaces the organization’s occasional holiday pop-ups with a permanent retail presence.
SFMade Gives Small Manufacturers a Retail Presence
Only about 20% of the retailers in the new storefront had a brick-and-mortar presence before it opened, SFMade CEO Joyce Shulman said. She described the organization’s role as helping manufacturers start, grow and scale.
A two-year $500,000 grant from JP Morgan Chase’s philanthropic arm funded the Geary Street location. The bank has pledged $3.8 million in support to small businesses downtown. At the ribbon cutting, Tony Tolentino, the bank’s vice president of global philanthropy, said the company cares about San Francisco’s overall economic vibrancy.
Mayor Daniel Lurie also spoke at the opening. He said small businesses are the backbone of the economy and that the downturn since COVID had created an opportunity to fill storefronts with local businesses.
More Makers May Join the Shop
SFMade hopes to add another 50 manufacturers in the coming months. The planned additions include food and beverage products, clothing and household goods. The location was formerly an art gallery and remains on a block with several other galleries.
Mark Dwight, founder of SFMade and former owner of messenger bag company Timbuk2, has a long history with the organization. He founded SFMade in 2010 and later launched Rickshaw Bags after selling Timbuk2. Rickshaw Bags will turn 20 next year, and its products are still made in a Dogpatch factory and sold at the store.
Dwight pointed to tote and zipper pouch designs by Raymundo Valdez, including illustrations of the Golden Gate Bridge from both sides and a cable car. He said artists want their work seen in public.
Union Square is preparing for a busy holiday season as vacant shops fill. Construction is also expected to begin on the nearby Powell Street Project, which will transform the cable car turnaround. The project is expected to take about a year and include sidewalk work and a new light display.
Dwight said construction can be difficult for businesses, but the JPMorgan Chase support could give SFMade a safety net. He said breaking even would be a good outcome for the shop.
Red X Magazine has also covered business spaces designed to support entrepreneurs, including a shared downtown retail spot, an investor training program and a hub for Latino startups.