After a quarter-century of washing and folding, the owners of Fay Cleaners are unplugging their steam press for good. In November, property owner North East Medical Services (NEMS) gave the mom-and-pop operation six months to clear out; because they weren't able to find a new spot, owners Ping Guan and his wife are closing on April 30th. They'll spend a few days moving out their equipment and cleaning the space before moving on.
The Guans chose not to speak with Hoodline, but a source close to the situation said it was "a very sad and hard" transition, because the couple lives nearby and has deep ties in the community.
On Yelp, customers give Fay Cleaners high marks for providing quality customer service, clothing repairs and alteration work. Our source said Mrs. Guan, who does alterations, plans to move that part of the business online, so she can continue working. Emerald Cleaners (1730 Noriega) and Noriega Cleaners (1711 Noriega) will continue to serve the neighborhood.
Photo: Yelp
According to our source, Fay Cleaners isn't the first business on the block to be displaced by NEMS, which owns seven clinics in the city, including two at 1400 and 1450 Noriega. Records at the City Assessor's office show that NEMS owns 1422 - 1434 Noriega, which includes four storefronts. We reached out to the health provider for comment, but no one was available.
"They take over some spaces and just leave them there [empty]," said our source, referring to Kingdom Of Dumpling, which relocated to 1713 Taraval, and Hair Designs Ai, a salon that's no longer in business. The source, who also works nearby, said NEMS told merchants that they're using the empty storefronts as employee overflow space, "but I don't see any people in there having lunch. It's always empty."
Brian Donohue, a bartender at Boomerang Cocktail Lounge, said NEMS is "pretty much taking over the whole block," and has repurposed the empty storefronts as conference rooms and employee break areas. "Once the cleaners are done, we'll be the only other business on the block other than the medical centers, so that kind of sucks," he said.
"They own everything on the block, and it's huge," said Donohue, who added that Boomerang's lease comes up for renewal in 2020. "I don't think the owner will renew, honestly. This [bar] is like a hobby for her. It's not crazy busy like it used to be," he said.
"People walk by and look in, and just seem disgusted or confused," said Donohue, "it's like they're wondering why there's a bar in the middle of these medical buildings."
