Whole Foods cites concerns for employee safety, shutters San Francisco flagship store

Company officials told The Standard in a statement, “We are closing our Trinity location only for the time being. If we feel we can ensure the safety of our team members in the store, we will evaluate a reopening of our Trinity location.”

A source at City Hall said that the outlet’s “flagship location” cited drug use and crime near the 64,737 square feet location as reasons for the closure.

Last year, the grocery store at Eighth and Market Street previously cut its operating hours due to hostile visitors and “high theft" and then enforced new bathroom policies after syringes and other drug paraphernalia were regularly left in store restrooms, according to one of the store's managers.

San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey, whose district includes the market, said in a Twitter thread that he was “incredibly disappointed” by the store’s closure and announced that he will introduce legislation with Supervisor Catherine Stefani to amend the City Charter and get the Police Department fully staffed within five years.

The department is currently short over 600 officers of its staffing goal

Decreased foot traffic following government-mandated shutdowns in response to the pandemic has led to many businesses closing and homelessness, drug use, and mental illness on the streets becoming more visible.

The negative financial impacts of the closures have led to an expected $800 million deficit in the city’s budget.