Troubled mall that was once the crown jewel in blue city gets another nail in the coffin as restaurant closes
Ten years ago, downtown San Francisco's biggest mall was a bustling community hub, iconic for its dozens of stores and towering seven story structure.
But after the pandemic San Francisco Centre started going downhill fast.
And now, after a string of closures, one of the mall's two remaining restaurants has announced it will be following suit.
Shake Shack announced that its location in San Francisco Centre will officially shut on December 14.
A spokesperson for the company told the Daily Mail that new leadership that was requiring businesses to vacate.
'We will unfortunately close our Shack at San Francisco Centre on December 14 because the property was sold to a new owner who is requiring all tenants to vacate the premises,' they said.
'We remain focused on supporting our people through this transition and have offered opportunities to all 26 team members to transfer to nearby Shake Shack locations.
'We look forward to welcoming our guests at our other Bay Area Shacks and continuing to be part of the community.'
Most employees have reportedly accepted the offer to transfer to other Shake Shack locations, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
San Francisco Centre was once a bustling community space for hundreds of residents
The Shake Shack was one of two remaining eateries at San Francisco Centre
The mall's previous owners defaulted on loan payments and were forced to sell it
Those who do not choose to accept will receive 41 days of back pay and benefits.
JP Morgan Chase purchased the mall at an auction in November for $133 million, a fraction of its original $1.2 billion value, as previously reported by Daily Mail.
San Francisco Centre, that opened in 1988, has been slowly emptying out since the pandemic.
In 2023 the flagship Nordstrom and Bloomingdales vacated the mall, signaling the beginning of the end.
Locals have described seeing the mall get 'emptier and emptier.'
'It was bustling. It was so busy you couldn't even walk. So, seeing it like this is just unbelievable,' San Francisco native Paula Reinda told CBS.
Shoppers from all over the world used to come enjoy the mall's splendor.
Now only 26 businesses remain.
Shake Shack told the Daily Mail that San Francisco Centre employees would have the option to relocate to other nearby locations
Trouble for the mall started in 2023 when its anchor store, Nordstrom, shut down
'Boasting iconic landmarks, game changing innovations, and world-famous natural beauty, this place refuses to be forgotten,' the website read, calling the mall a 'living monument to the city.'
The iconic structure became so renowned that it created the San Francisco colloquialism 'meet me under the dome.'
SF Chronicle reported that the mall now only leased 9 percent of their storefronts.
H&M, Foot Locker, Aritzia, and Ray Ban still operate in the mall.
There are Amazon lockers, a currency exchange, and multiple places that offer eyebrow services.
But after Shake Shack closes the only place to eat there will be a Panda Express.
Previous owners of San Francisco Centre were forced to sell after falling behind on loan payments.
They blamed the decline on 'unsafe conditions' and 'lack of enforcement against rampant criminal activity' in the city's downtown.
Shops have been quickly exiting San Francisco's most iconic mall after concerns over foot traffic, finances, and retail theft have persisted
The mall was bought by JP Morgan Chase at an auction in November
The San Francisco Centre was once so famous that it inspired the San Franciscan phrase 'meet me under the dome'
Mayor Daniel Lurie told the Daily Mail he has been working on getting downtown San Francisco back to its glory days. The mall's upheaval was just another step in that process.
'Since day one of our administration, we've been creating the conditions to bring businesses back downtown,' he said.
'And this milestone marks a critical step towards an exciting new chapter for this site and for Market Street.
'With safe, clean streets and an activated Market Street, we can reenergize downtown and move our recovery forward.'
San Francisco Centre is not the only mall that is in trouble.
Capitol One reported that an average of 40 shopping malls closed across the United States every year between 2017 and 2022.
By 2028, studies project there will only be 900 left.
The Daily Mail contacted JP Morgan Chase for further comment.
