DAILY MAIL
Gump’s San Francisco could close after 166 years due to dwindling foot traffic and homeless people harassing shoppers
Alex Hammer
August 16, 2023

The owner of one of San Francisco’s most storied department stores has warned this year could be its last due to spiraling crime and homelessness and has blamed the mayor and governor for failing to act. John Chachas, the owner of longtime luxury furnisher Gump’s, paid for a full-page ad in Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle – the city’s most-read newspaper – to air a scathing open letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor London Breed. In it, he accuses the politicians, as well as the city’s board of supervisors, of dereliction of duty, citing the rampant homelessness and thievery seen on the city’s streets. Chachas, 59, also said incidents of harassment and bumbling leadership that’s persisted since the pandemic could result in the 166-year-old store’s doors closing forever. READ MORE