If you have an announcement or opportunity to share with your fellow Legacy Businesses and those interested in the program, please email legacybusiness@sfgov.org.
The Legacy Business Program is part of the San Francisco Office of Small Business. It is the first-of-its-kind program in the United States and is pioneering a new take on government's involvement in maintaining and promoting the small business community.
New Legacy Businesses
Throughout this year, the San Francisco Small Business Commission has been recognizing longstanding, community-serving, and culturally vital businesses, unanimously approving 23 businesses for the Legacy Business Registry. Currently, a total of 365 businesses have been added to the Legacy Business Registry since it started in 2015. The 2023 entrants include:
Playmates Cooperative Preschool
Press Highlights
St. Francis Fountain getting a new owner
“After about nine months on the market, one of San Francisco's oldest restaurants — the St. Francis Fountain in the Mission — is close to being acquired by a new owner.”
Read the full article in the San Francisco Business Times
Sai’s Vietnamese Restaurant finds a new home
“...Time-tested favorite Sai’s Vietnamese beneath the Transamerica Pyramid needed to find a new home. Thankfully the restaurant just found new life at 42 Columbus Avenue, the location of North Beach restaurant Bask.”
Read the full article on Eater SF
The Best Deal Around Is a Literary Oasis in the Heart of Downtown San Francisco
In a city known for its ballooning price tags on everything from real estate to retail, the Mechanics’ Institute, a literary oasis in the heart of Downtown, might be the very best deal in town.
Read the full article in the SF Standard
Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with SFGovTV and the Legacy Business Program:
Read more Legacy Business Press
Upcoming Events
City Lights 70th Anniversary
Join City Lights for 70th anniversary historic talks, poetry readings, and panel discussions throughout the summer and fall.
Find the full roster of events
Heritage Happy Hour with SF Heritage
Heritage Happy Hour is a convivial “no-host” gathering of heritage professionals, young preservationists, aficionados, friends, and Legacy Business cohorts. We get together on the Second Thursday of each month from 5-7 pm at a registered Legacy Business bar in San Francisco.
July 13: Hockey Haven, 3625 Balboa St.
August 10: Bay View Boat Club, 489 Terry A Francois Blvd.
September 14: Buena Vista Café, 2765 Hyde St.
Imaginate Saturdays
Imaginate Saturdays is a summertime program from Creativity Explored. From 12:00 - 3:00 PM at their Mission District studio, join the free open studio time to create something new!
Learn more about Imaginate and Creativity Explored
Resources
Toolkit for Transitioning to Employee Ownership
Some Legacy Businesses may be considering succession plans for their next generation of ownership. The Office of Small Business, in partnership with the Democracy at Work Institute, created this toolkit as an introduction to employee ownership.
Rent Stabilization Grant
Landlords of San Francisco Legacy Businesses may be able to get this grant every year as an incentive to help Legacy Businesses stay open in San Francisco. Landlords must offer a new lease of 10+ years or extend an existing lease to 10+ years.
Find out more about the Rent Stabilization Grant Program
Get help with hiring
The Office of Economic & Workforce Development’s Employer Services team is your workforce concierge and can assist your business with promoting jobs, finding local candidates, accessing hiring events, and introductions to workforce community partners. These services are available for bilingual and monolingual employers and employees.
Learn more about hiring services
Business-to-Business Spotlight
Legacy Businesses provide goods and services to individuals and fellow businesses. Do you offer a discount to fellow Legacy Businesses, and/or have services that you think might be a good fit for a fellow Legacy Business? Email it to legacybusiness@sfgov.org. Here are a few Legacy Business wholesalers to consider:
San Francisco Supply Master
SF Supply Master is a leading Bay Area compostable & recyclable, paper product, jan/san, and PPE product distributor, servicing restaurants, hospitals, schools, bars, hotels, and institutions. They offer next day delivery in San Francisco.
Veritable Vegetable
Veritable Vegetable is a women-owned organic produce distribution company. We source and deliver the freshest and highest quality produce, with unmatched service.
Wilcox Frozen Foods
Founded in 1946, Wilcox Frozen Foods was the first frozen food distributor in San Francisco and remains one of the few major food distributors in the city.