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Borderlands surprises me - I thought any business made unprofitable by San Francisco's minimum wage hikes would close up shop quietly, or just blame the evil la

Borderlands surprises me - I thought any business made unprofitable by San Francisco's minimum wage hikes would close up shop quietly, or just blame the evil landlord. After all, they've still got inventory to sell before they close, and there's no percentage in pissing people off. It'll be interesting to see what replaces the business, when the retail space eventually becomes available. It'll have to be something high-margin enough to afford the labor costs, so I believe there's now an increased likelihood that it'll be a chain store catering to the well-off - something like a Lululemon. There's now a decreased likelihood that it'll be one of the quirky new businesses that make a city unique, since start-up costs have increased and businesses with unknown economics are therefore riskier. If things in San Francisco work out like I suspect, this'll be a pretty good example of the law of unintended consequences - the 77% of voters who wanted to increase the pay of the lowest-paid workers didn't realize they were also voting for increased chain-ificiation and homogenization of their city. (If they did realize that, would they have still voted for the measure?)

bhauer 12y ago
(I don't live in San Francisco, and I don't know Borderlands from Borders.) > Borderlands surprises me - I thought any business made unprofitable by San Francisco's minimum wage hikes would close up shop quietly, or just blame the evil landlord. After all, they've still got inventory to sell before they close, and there's no percentage in pissing people off. Who in their right mind would be "pissed off" by Borderlands' conduct here? Are you suggesting that their customers are going to be offended that they are placing the blame on the minimum wage law? Are people in San Francisco so politically insular?
- gyardley 12y ago
  Oh, I'm not merely suggesting it. San Francisco is an extremely unfriendly place to people known to have the wrong politics.
  - bhauer 12y ago
    Thank you; that is illuminating. I live in Los Angeles, and we have our share of people who live sheltered political lives, but I've not known people to punish a business for doing something akin to what we're seeing in this story. Most people in LA just don't care enough to make a political stand of that magnitude when it comes down to it.
- carapace 12y ago
  I'm from here, I grew up here, and I love this town, but yes let me tell you the people in San Francisco are politically insane. (Not wrong necessarily, but totally nutty.)
rsync 12y ago
"There's now a decreased likelihood that it'll be one of the quirky new businesses that make a city unique" As an aside, I was reminded this past weekend that there is an honest to god gun store, in the mission: http://www.highbridgearms.com/english.htm http://www.highbridgearms.com/english.htm I don't know what's more surprising and unlikely in 2015 ... the surviving bookstore on Valencia or a store stocking AR-15s right on Mission.
- acdha 12y ago
  The gun shop makes more sense to me: the average sale price is much higher and unlike the case of a bookstore, you're talking about highly regulated market which happens mostly offline and, I suspect, a higher percentage of customers like to physically inspect something before buying.
DrDanDLyons 12y ago
"I believe there's now an increased likelihood that it'll be a chain store catering to the well-off" The Mission Merchants Association has a standing ban on chain stores. It is more likely to be a trust-fund enabled quirky new business. Not saying there is anything wrong with that, but it is very unlikely a chain would be able to move in.
fencepost 12y ago
It might even be possible that they'll be able to keep the cafe, maybe even with a few books, possibly even still bringing in authors, etc. for events. It wouldn't still be a bookstore and it might end up as a sad ghoulish reminder of what once was, but they might pull it off. BigBlockO'Salt: I'm 2000 miles away and have no idea whether this is something they're considering

bhauer 12y ago

(I don't live in San Francisco, and I don't know Borderlands from Borders.) > Borderlands surprises me - I thought any business made unprofitable by San Francisco's minimum wage hikes would close up shop quietly, or just blame the evil landlord. After all, they've still got inventory to sell before they close, and there's no percentage in pissing people off. Who in their right mind would be "pissed off" by Borderlands' conduct here? Are you suggesting that their customers are going to be offended that they are placing the blame on the minimum wage law? Are people in San Francisco so politically insular?

gyardley 12y ago
Oh, I'm not merely suggesting it. San Francisco is an extremely unfriendly place to people known to have the wrong politics.
- bhauer 12y ago
  Thank you; that is illuminating. I live in Los Angeles, and we have our share of people who live sheltered political lives, but I've not known people to punish a business for doing something akin to what we're seeing in this story. Most people in LA just don't care enough to make a political stand of that magnitude when it comes down to it.
carapace 12y ago
I'm from here, I grew up here, and I love this town, but yes let me tell you the people in San Francisco are politically insane. (Not wrong necessarily, but totally nutty.)

rsync 12y ago

"There's now a decreased likelihood that it'll be one of the quirky new businesses that make a city unique" As an aside, I was reminded this past weekend that there is an honest to god gun store, in the mission: http://www.highbridgearms.com/english.htm http://www.highbridgearms.com/english.htm I don't know what's more surprising and unlikely in 2015 ... the surviving bookstore on Valencia or a store stocking AR-15s right on Mission.

acdha 12y ago
The gun shop makes more sense to me: the average sale price is much higher and unlike the case of a bookstore, you're talking about highly regulated market which happens mostly offline and, I suspect, a higher percentage of customers like to physically inspect something before buying.

DrDanDLyons 12y ago

"I believe there's now an increased likelihood that it'll be a chain store catering to the well-off" The Mission Merchants Association has a standing ban on chain stores. It is more likely to be a trust-fund enabled quirky new business. Not saying there is anything wrong with that, but it is very unlikely a chain would be able to move in.

fencepost 12y ago

It might even be possible that they'll be able to keep the cafe, maybe even with a few books, possibly even still bringing in authors, etc. for events. It wouldn't still be a bookstore and it might end up as a sad ghoulish reminder of what once was, but they might pull it off. BigBlockO'Salt: I'm 2000 miles away and have no idea whether this is something they're considering