San Francisco, CA – Today, Mayor London N. Breed announced the first round of grant recipients of this year’s SF Shines Storefront Improvement Program, which is administered by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD). More than 50 small businesses will receive over $350,000 in funding to support storefront improvements and equipment purchases. The program will begin accepting new applications in January 2025.
As part of SF Shines, new and existing small businesses can receive up to $10,000 in funds for physical improvements to help reduce vulnerability to crime, attract foot traffic, ensure compliance with City requirements, and stimulate economic growth in neighborhoods across San Francisco. Since it launched in 2022, the program has been vital to the City’s economic revitalization strategy, awarding more than $3.7 to approximately 960 businesses.
"San Francisco’s small businesses are at the center of what drives our economy and what makes our City so special,” said Mayor London Breed. “SF Shines has awarded nearly $4 million in grants for hundreds of small businesses, but this is just one of many resources available for our small business community. I am proud of the investments we have made and continue to secure so that the City can offer help to businesses stay successful.”
SF Shines has been an essential resource for a variety of small businesses, allowing them to expand their offerings, enhance their customer experience, and improve operations. Mayor Breed included $5.9 million in the City's budget to support the program and over 300 small businesses this fiscal year.
“SF Shines supports economic growth by supporting existing businesses in San Francisco’s neighborhoods,” said Sarah Dennis Philips, Director of OEWD. “Through targeted grant funding, the program not only revives storefronts, but also this contributes to the larger vision of building a more lively, safe, and dynamic community where people can shop, dine, work, and connect.”
“SF shines has come through for us when our business was needing it the most. Thankfully their process for getting grants has been easy to apply to. We are so grateful for the opportunity to get access to help from SF shines. It’s crucial to small businesses with no investors to back them up. Can’t thank SF Shines enough!” said Isai Cuevas, owner of Donaji, a Mission District bar that received support to purchase new tables, chairs, and bar equipment. This is Donaji’s second SF Shines grant, having previously received funding through the SF Shines Construction Grant program in 2023 to support building improvements.
“I am deeply grateful for the grant provided through the SF Shines program,” said Onur Ozkaynak, owner of Cha Cha Cha and Oz Pizza. “This investment has not only enabled much-needed improvements to my businesses but has also brought renewed hope for future growth. Thank you for championing small businesses like mine and helping us thrive.”
With the grant funding, Ozkaynak will be able to redesign the bar at Cha Cha Cha and purchase a new pizza oven for his other establishment, Oz Pizza.
“For businesses like mine that have weathered the pandemic and increased inflation, grants like these are essential to helping grow our businesses and keeping San Francisco unique,” said Michelle Hernandez, owner and chef at Le Dix-Sept Pâtisserie.
“With the anticipated arrival of the funds from SF Shines Grant, we will be able to purchase a brand new commercial-use freezer for our bakery,” said Hong Kong Bakery owner David Huang. “In previous years, our old freezer would work and stop working randomly, requiring constant repairs and careful maintenance. With the new unit in place, we are able to more accurately control and maintain the desired temperature thereby being able to deliver a fresher food experience to our customers in the Excelsior neighborhood. Thank you, city for lending us a helping hand!”
To date, Mayor Breed has directed over $115 million in investment resulting in nearly 7,000 grants and loans to local small businesses in commercial corridors across San Francisco. In addition to SF Shines, these funds have contributed to a wide range of the Mayor’s recovery initiatives that have made it easier to open and run a business in San Franscisco.
In November, the Mayor announced her latest investments to support small businesses and fill vacancies Downtown:
- Expansion of Vacant to Vibrant Pop-Ups: In November, the Mayor, the OEWD and the nonprofit SF New Deal announced a two-year expansion of the successful program to Powell Street as well as additional storefronts Downtown. Supported by a $3 million investment in this year’s budget, approximately 25 new Vacant to Vibrant storefronts will soon begin to open on Powell Street and across Downtown on a rolling basis.
- New $3.6 million Downtown SF Vibrancy Loan Fund: launched in partnership with OEWD, Main Street Launch and private funders, assists small businesses with filling vacant storefronts Downtown. Loan amounts are up to $100,000 with a 4% interest rate for qualifying businesses. In addition, those who qualify for the loan will also receive a grant of $25,000 from the City to support their launch.
- New Open Downtown Grany: provides up to $25,000 to small businesses that are seeking to move into Downtown. Modeled on the Storefront Opportunity Grant, which disbursed $1.3 million to 71 new or expanding small businesses across the City, the Open Downtown Grant will start accepting applications in early 2025.
- Expansion of Vandalism and Fire Relief: Mayor Breed’s budget includes $1.2 million to continue assisting small businesses with unexpected expenses caused by vandalism and fire. The Vandalism Relief Grant provides up to $2,000 grants for small business storefront damages. This year’s budget supports businesses to apply for the vandalism relief grant up to three times per year. The Fire Disaster Relief Grant awards up to $10,00 for businesses that are significantly damaged by fire for which they were not at fault. Last year, the City disbursed $819,000 and 535 awards to businesses in the form of relief funding.
“In addition to direct grant programs, the Office of Small Business has case managers, permit and leasing experts, and other advisors at the ready to help entrepreneurs,” said Katy Tang, Director of the Office of Small Business. “We are here to support small businesses, whether they are just getting started, building their brand, expanding to a new location, or securing their legacy.”
OEWD will open another round of applications for SF Shines in January 2025. For more information regarding the City’s small business grant programs, or to subscribe to our newsletter for updates, please visit the Office of Small Business webpage: sf.gov/SmallBusinessGrants
Other initiatives in the Mayor’s holistic approach to support small businesses include:
Tax Reform
Approved by voters in the November 2024 election, Proposition M reforms and simplifies the business tax structure in San Francisco by:
- Shifting away from calculation of taxes based on relative payroll toward gross receipts
- Exempting more than 2,500 small businesses from the tax
- Lowering taxes for hotels, arts, entertainment, and recreation
- Reducing volatility by ensuring taxes are not overconcentrated
- Reducing disincentives for bringing workers back or locating in San Francisco
- Simplifying the overall tax structure to be more predictable
Reducing Fees
- The First Year Free program waives first-year permit, license, and business registration fees for new and expanding businesses. Since the program began in 2021, approximately 8,472 businesses have enrolled and over $4.2 million in fees have been waived.
- In 2024, Mayor Breed introduced legislation to waive impact fees associated with commercial projects that are changing from a Production, Distribution and Repair (PDR) use to another non-residential use to remove barriers to filling vacant spaces.
- Mayor Breed introduced legislation that would eliminate annual license fees, providing $10 million annually in relief to San Francisco businesses. The legislation is contingent on the passage of the Proposition M ballot measure.
Cutting Red Tape
- The passage of Prop H in 2020 and the Small Business Recovery Act in 2021 removed notification requirements and allowed for most projects to be processed “over the counter,” allowing applicants to receive their permit immediately or within two business days. Nearly, 5,600 commercial projects have been able to get their permits over the counter.
- Mayor Breed sponsored additional legislation that made over 100 changes to the Planning Code to ease business restrictions to allow more businesses uses on the ground floor, incorporate new liquor licenses for music venues, and prioritize processing for nighttime entertainment, bars and restaurants, among other key reforms.
- Mayor Breed further simplified the permitting process by removing the requirement for businesses to submit architectural drawings for projects that involve no new construction and only a transition of one business type to another. This legislation will save businesses an average of $10,000 and months of work.
Easing Permitting Costs and Time
- New Permit Center – Opened by Mayor Breed in 2021, the Permit Center consolidates the various permitting agencies in one place to more efficiently serve applicants.
- Simplified event permits - Mayor Breed signed legislation that creates a new annual permit for special event food vendors, known as Temporary Food Facilities, which allows them to apply for a single permit to cover multiple events throughout the year.
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