Fisherman’s Wharf Safeway announces it’s closing permanently on May 27

Fisherman’s Wharf Safeway announces it’s closing permanently on May 27Image: Dee S. via Yelp
Joe Kukura
Published on March 31, 2023

The closures of so many SF Walgreens stores, a phenomenon that dates back to before the pandemic hit, has been a national obsession of right-wing media. But those closures have not previously hit the grocery chain Safeway, a retailer that frankly has far less passive security guards, and is much more proactive about locking up high-theft items.

But folks, a closure has arrived on the San Francisco Safeway scene. The SF Standard reported Friday morning that the 350 Bay Street Safeway is closing May 27. That publication adds that the 65 employees of that Safeway “are expected to be transferred to other stores.” 

The Chronicle got a statement confirming the closure from a Safeway spokesperson. “We continuously evaluate the performance of our stores, and occasionally it’s necessary to close locations that aren’t meeting financial expectations,” the spokesperson said.

The district’s supervisor Aaron Peskin told the Chronicle that the closure is “definitely a bummer,” but added that neighborhood is “highly tourist-dependent” and “not a food desert.” 

Indeed, a Trader Joe’s opened just a half-block away in 2005, which surely changed the landscape for Safeway. Twelve blocks away, the locally owned Luke’s Local opened earlier this month.