Earlier this month the Castro Merchants were selected as one of four SF merchants' associations to receive a $50,000 Avenue Greenlight grant.

Castro residents and visitors looking for a place to satisfy their sweet tooth now have a new option. Turkish and Greek dessert shop Aegean Delights is now open at 545 Castro St, formerly Best in Show.

Fable co-owners Ramsey Garcia and Jon Vargas tell Hoodline about their pivot to takeout, getting a too-small PPP loan, and spending part of last year renovating their garden patio.

The 7-Eleven convenience store at 3998 18th St. (at Noe St.) has permanently closed, and Hoodline has learned its last day in business was Thursday, March 4.

Castro's apartment-ready plant shop Plant Therapy has outgrown its current location at 2095 Market St. (at Church St.) and opens tomorrow in a new, larger location.

The Subway sandwich shop at 2375 Market St. in the Castro has permanently closed.

Since the Castro Merchants launched a broken-window recovery initiative and survey last Thursday, neighborhood business owners have reported 72 incidents of vandalized and broken windows at a cost of $135,472.74.

Today the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza (FHMP), announced the selection of SWA Group as the new design firm to redesign Castro's Harvey Milk Plaza (Market and Castro Streets).

Friday evening, Castro area taqueria Casa Mexicana (180 Church St., between Duboce and 14th) was damaged by a one-alarm grease fire in its kitchen.

Castro neighborhood bar Pilsner Inn (225 Church St.) reopened last week after a nearly one-year hiatus caused by shelter-in-place restrictions. The Pilsner's first day of outdoor drinks and food was February 5, much to the delight of customers, employees, and the bar's owners.

On Thursday, the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District (Castro CBD) launched its new unarmed Public Safety Ambassadors program, part of its new public safety initiative.

Three personal services businesses, Great Tan, Salon Six, and Face It Salon & Spa, have all announced permanent closures in recent weeks, nine months after their businesses were hobbled by shelter-in-place restrictions.

Over the weekend, the Castro's newest Mexican restaurant and margarita bar Santeria (2251 Market St.) softly opened in the former Finn Town space — and it's the sister restaurant to Tacorgasmico a block away.