Lucky, a major national grocery store chain with one of the few grocery stores in Bayview, will close its doors there after just three years in the neighborhood.
Now, just two major grocery stores, Foods Co. and Grocery Outlet, are left in Bayview. Both are over a mile away from the shuttered Lucky.
The loss of Lucky “is another major blow to the Bayview community, which has long faced challenges of being a food desert,” said District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton. Walton added that his office will work with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development to bring “essential” grocery and pharmacy services back to the area.
“Bayview families should not have to leave their neighborhood for groceries, medications, and other basic necessities,” Walton said.
Lucky opened at Bayview Plaza on Third Street in October 2022, replacing a Walgreens that closed in 2019 after more than 30 years at the spot. A Seattle cannabis dispensary had been rumored to take the pharmacy’s place, but the grocery store arrived instead after pressure from the supervisor’s office.
Walgreens executives never provided a statement on why they chose to leave the location — though some suspected high rates of retail theft. But over the past few years, Walgreens has phased out over 20 stores in San Francisco where the chain did not generate enough revenue.
It is unclear why Lucky is closing. It did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
However, Natalie Gee, an aid from Supervisor Walton’s office says that in previous meetings with the grocery store chain, they were hesitant to take on the Bayview location. “They probably aren’t making as much money as they are at their other, larger locations,” said Gee.
The supervisor’s office is trying to meet with Lucky to convince them to extend their stay, says Gee — and to understand why they’re leaving.
The southeastern neighborhood, which is disproportionately low-income, has struggled with food access for decades, and many residents live with food insecurity. While former Mayor London Breed was in office, the District 10 Community Market, which offered a wide selection of free groceries for residents who receive government benefits opened to create more access to healthy food options. That program is still open today.
Neil, the owner of BayCopy SF next door to the Lucky, says that he hopes that whoever takes over, “shows interest in the community” — and he hopes it’s another produce market.
“It was a good thing for the community to have,” he says. “I would like to see someone that stays longer than two years.”
Walton credited Lucky for creating “local jobs, supporting small businesses, and giving families long-overdue access to fresh, healthy food.”
“Just as we fought to bring Lucky’s to Bayview following the Walgreens closure,” Walton continued, “we will work tirelessly until residents once more have access to the essential services they deserve.”
Dining and Cooking