San Francisco, CA — Today, Mayor London N. Breed swore in award winning chef and longtime community advocate Azalina Eusope to the City’s five-member Sanitation and Streets Commission at a ceremony held at City Hall.
The Sanitation and Streets Commission is an oversight body for the Department of Public Works (DPW). Originally created by Proposition B on the November 2020 ballot, the Commission sets policy directives for DPW regarding sanitation standards and protocols, establishing minimum standards of cleanliness for the public right of way and setting baselines for services to be administered.
Commissioner Eusope is an active participant in improving the Tenderloin neighborhood and is actively working with City government and other groups like the Tenderloin Community Benefit District and the Boys and Girls Club, to improve the living experience for everyone in the neighborhood. In the past, she has partnered with a local nonprofit to make discounted dinners available to neighborhood families.
"I'm excited to swear in Azalina to serve on the Sanitation and Streets Commission," said Mayor Breed. "She is a strong voice from the small business community and respected community advocate. I am excited to see what Azalina will do for the Tenderloin, for our AAPI community, and for our city more broadly.”
Azalina is also the Chef and owner behind Azalina’s, a restaurant in the Tenderloin that offers a reservation-only, four-course tasting menu, specializing in Malaysian food. She was recently named the Chef of the Year for 2023 by Eater San Francisco.
“As a long-time San Francisco resident and merchant, I deeply understand the importance of clean streets and neighborhoods to both City residents, families and businesses,” Azalina Eusope said. “I am honored to have Mayor Breed’s trust, and I look forward to being part of the solution in addressing the challenges faced by the Tenderloin and the San Francisco as a whole and working toward equitable outcomes on these challenges.”
Originally from Malaysia, Chef Azalina is a fifth-generation street food vendor who moved to San Francisco over 25 years ago after many years of working as a pastry chef throughout Asia. The only thing that could comfort her in the early days settling in and learning English was the food she grew up eating, so the pastry-trained chef cooked for herself, family and friends often. Over time, word got out about her home-cooked meals, and her hobby eventually turned into a business in 2010 and ultimately her eponymous restaurant in the Tenderloin.
“The entire Public Works’ team and I look forward to hearing Commissioner Eusope's ideas and insights – seasoned by her experience as a small business owner in San Francisco and her work in the community – about how we can do better to serve the Tenderloin and all our neighborhoods in the City,” said Public Works Director Carla Short. “She is the right pick for the right time during the San Francisco rebound.”
"Azalina Eusope's contributions to the community not only demonstrate the multicultural dynamism that defines San Francisco, but also its adaptive and entrepreneurial spirit," said Kate Robinson, Executive Director of the Tenderloin Community Benefit District (TLCBD). "As a sworn city commissioner, Azalina will give an equitable voice through her lived experience as an immigrant, woman, and small business owner, knowing firsthand that the success of our neighborhoods depends upon the sustainability of our vibrant streets."
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