Bay Area/ San Francisco
Published on May 14, 2015
Don't Ask This Shoe Repair Shop To Fix Your iPhoneMike Argueta, Galletti Shoe Repair. Photos: Geri Koeppel/Hoodline

The neon sign on the front of Galletti Shoe Repair at 22B Battery St. indicates in no uncertain terms what goes on inside. Yes, that would be shoe repair. And it's no Johnny-come-lately; the shop has been in business since 1905.

But employee Mike Argueta says at least 10 people a day come in to ask about getting their iPhone fixed. "They look for 22 and we are 22B," he said, in reference to the address on Battery Street between Bush and Pine.

It's been so distracting, the owner had to put up a sign warning people not to bother the cobblers:

"Everybody laughs at that," Argueta said of the sign. "Are you serious? Yeah, that's why we have the sign there." He said he didn't know where the actual phone repair shop was located.

To be fair, the old-timey shop does sell a large selection of women's hosiery and handbags, and it has a watch repair over to the side, so some might get the impression they are just expert multitaskers who could be as good with cracked screens as they are with cracked soles. 

But it seems ironic that in the age of Siri, Yelp directions and Google maps, iPhone users can't seem to find their way to Cupertino iPhone Repair, which is at 22 Battery St., Suite 702. The Yelp listing even mentions it's on the 7th floor. But in case you're looking for it, here's the entrance to the set of office suites where it's housed, just next door to Galletti's:

Then again, these misguided souls do have broken phones, so maybe they get a pass.