Recruit anchor businesses to support and attract other neighborhood-serving businesses. 

 

“Anchor” businesses are established businesses that attract other small businesses to open nearby. In the Blueprint, we gave the examples of Java Beach Café, Trouble Coffee and Outerlands. Java Beach Café’s success has also led the owners to open other locations, which have in turn helped to revitalize those areas. When small businesses are successful and want to expand, our office works to connect them with the right resources to assist them through the process.

 

Successful business ventures, such as Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company (1735 Noriega Street), could not have happened without the tireless efforts of the owners. However, our office works closely with merchants looking to locate or expand in the Sunset District to ensure that city departments are responsive and efficient. We also work closely with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) to connect new or expanding businesses with information on how to access capital grants, loans and other resources.

 

Over the past year, we have connected OEWD with several other successful Sunset-based companies to expand their businesses to the areas we have identified for business attraction. We hope that these strong businesses will serve as anchors on our corridors to reduce vacancies, increase foot traffic and increase the business variety and vibrancy of our community. Our office continues to engage with prospective business owners looking to start or expand their companies to locate suitable properties and create a dialogue with the City. We also continue to work closely with landlords who are looking for the right tenant for their space.