Abbie Dwelle (left), Wendy Hawkins and Olivia Griffin of Paul’s Hat Works. Photo: Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

I received a lovely, handmade invitation in the mail this week announcing the one year anniversary of “the marriage of Paul’s Hat Works to Abbie Dwelle, Wendy Hawkins, Olivia Griffin, and Kirsten Hove.”

Those are the uniquely talented ladies that took over the 90 year old hat business in September of last year. It’s been a eventful first year for them that included a lot of coffee, a holiday gala complete with Dimestore Dandy, a grant from the Convention & Visitors Bureau, and even a mysterious caper when their dapper street sign was beheaded.

But the ladies and Paul’s Hat Works are still going strong. Stop by the shop at 6128 Geary this Sunday from 11am until 9pm to wish them a happy anniversary. While you’re there you can try on their new line of summer straw hats, and explore their fantastic shop which is like stepping back in time.

And don’t forget say hi to the Conure bird that hangs out in the shop – apparently he likes to be included in all the comings and goings.

Congratulations to Abbie, Wendy, Olivia and Kirsten!

Sarah B.

I spoke with John Gavin today, a local consultant who is providing neighborhood outreach services on behalf of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets.

“Fresh & Easy is still committed to moving into the location in the Richmond District,” Gavin said, referring to the pending co-tenancy with CVS Pharmacy at 3132 Clement, a former Albertson’s that has sat empty since 2006.

However it’s unlikely they’ll open in 2011. The grocery chain is focused on opening seven new locations within the Bay Area, including one in San Francisco’s Hunter’s Point / Bayview neighborhood.

Gavin said Fresh & Easy Market felt the Hunter’s Point location took precedence over the Richmond District store since there’s been a longstanding need in the community for a major grocery retailer.

For the near future, Fresh & Easy will focus on opening their new Bay Area locations and watch their performance closely. Gavin said it’s not possible right now to put a timeline on when the market would open its Richmond District store.

Last week, Gavin and a representative from the Fresh & Easy corporate office in Southern California also met with representatives from the Lincoln Park Homeowner’s Association to discuss the project and reaffirm the grocer’s commitment to the outer Richmond District location.

Regardless of when Fresh & Easy makes their decision, CVS is moving forward with their plans to occupy half of the space at 3132 Clement. They are expected to begin the permit process with the Planning Department in the next couple of months. But no definitive word yet on when they will open their doors.

Sarah B.

Back in June and again in July, CVS Pharmacy held public meetings inside 3132 Clement to bring neighbors up to speed with their plans to move into the retail space in 2011. The 36,500 square foot building has been unoccupied since 2006, when grocery chain Albertson’s abruptly vacated the premises.

The building’s lease has since been taken over by another grocery chain, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, and it was expected they would move in last year. However due to the souring economy, their expansion plans for Northern California slowed in late 2009 and this year.

Enter CVS Pharmacy, who plans to move in and take over 40% of the interior retail space on the southern side. Fresh & Easy would then occupy the north end once they are ready to move in. CVS is already engaged in a co-tenancy with Fresh & Easy in many of their other locations.

At the June 24 meeting, Supervisor Mar spoke briefly, saying he had met recently with Fresh & Easy and that they are still “totally committed to coming to Northern California.”

Fast forward to yesterday, when the Chronicle ran an article detailing Fresh & Easy’s plans to expand into the Bay Area.

What was wrong with the article? There was no mention of Fresh & Easy’s plans to move into the Richmond District in 2011. According to the article, Fresh & Easy “will move into the Bay Area early next year by opening seven stores, including one in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood” at Third Street and Carroll Avenue.

I contacted Supervisor Eric Mar via email to see if he had any comment on the absence of a Richmond District location in Fresh & Easy’s latest announcement. I have not heard back from him.

At the June 24 meeting, the topic of Fresh & Easy pulling out was discussed. Given Albertson’s near overnight abandonment of 3132 Clement in 2006 (“they left us out to dry”), one neighbor asked CVS what they planned to do in the event Fresh & Easy, the lease holder, changed their plans to open in the other half of the building.

CVS responded that though they are subletting their space from Fresh & Easy, they are entitled to take on the lease of the entire building if needed and pursue another co-tenant. The representative added that they are “very optimistic” about the business opportunity for CVS and that they are in for the long haul.

Let’s hope CVS is already vetting some new co-tenants. Looks like Fresh & Easy is off the table, unless they plan on coming into 3132 Clement later in 2011. But if they’re opening 7 stores in the Bay Area already, I am guessing they’ll have their hands full.

Trader Joe’s, are you listening?

Sarah B.

Next month, the Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants Association will host their annual awards luncheon at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway.

As always, the event will be well attended by city celebs including State Assembly Speaker Fiona Ma, Chief of Police George Gascón, S.F. Chronicle columnist C.W. Nevius, and Steve Falk, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.

Mayor Gavin Newsom is also invited to speak – we’ll see if he attends or ends up campaigning elsewhere that day.

Special awards will be given to recognize outstanding merchants and community members who have made a difference in our neighborhood and city. This year’s merchant honorees include Angie Rando of Angelina’s Cafe (California and 22nd Avenue) and Sandra G. Castenada of Wells Fargo Bank.

Three organizations will be presented with Community Service Awards – the Clinic by the Bay, the Institute on Aging, and the Glaucoma Research Foundation.

The GGBMA Awards luncheon is open to the public; tickets are $50 in advance, $65 at the door. View the invitation (pdf) or contact GGBMA President David Heller at 387-1477 for more information.

Sarah B.

Seedstore will open its doors today at 212 Clement Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues (in a space that used to be part of Busvan for Bargains).

Described as “a modern-day mercantile shop,” Seedstore features men’s and women’s clothing, both new and vintage.

Run by a pair of sisters, Cynthia and Jennifer Huie, Seedstore is their first retail boutique despite years of experience in the fashion industry. Daily Candy has this to say about Seedstore’s selection:

The Huies’ well-edited selection is casual but pulled together (what you’d want to wear over jeans or leggings). They mix familiar brands (Free People tops, bright Tulle dresses, Hudson jeans), with lesser-known labels. We particularly liked Preloved’s sleeveless tops made from patches of vintage fabric, and patterned shirtdresses from Kanaro. There are also Swedish Hasbeens clogs, vintage housewares, and men’s apparel. And check out the backroom gallery filled with found and local art.

I haven’t had a chance to stop in yet but Seedstore has already been written up in a few places including Daily Candy, UrbanDaddy, Thrillist, and Vivian Sachs (lots of great pics here).

Stop in today beginning at 11am to welcome Seedstore to the neighborhood. And yay for women owned businesses! There’s gotta be a collaboration between Seedstore and Paul’s Hat Works in the making…

Sarah B.

Just got word that the group working on a Farmer’s Market for the Richmond District has decided on a location: the parking lot on 9th Avenue between Clement and Geary (across from the Richmond District Library).

The market will be held on Sunday mornings. Now that a location has been chosen, the group will move forward with choosing the vendors, establishing a kick-off date and making other decisions related to running the market.

The group hopes to open the market in early 2011, but could be sooner or later depending on how vendor selection and planning goes.

If you’re interested in joining the group that is working on the new Richmond District Farmer’s Market, check out their Yahoo! group. Their next meeting is planned for mid-September. In the meantime, they will likely begin outreach to residents and merchants near the 9th Avenue location.

And if one new farmer’s market isn’t exciting enough, another group is forming to bring a second market to the outer Richmond District, closer to 30th Avenue. This second location will also be discussed at the upcoming meeting in September.

Sarah B.

The parking lot on 9th Avenue where the Sunday morning farmer’s market will be held.

We first told you about Amybelle’s Wash & Dry at 3220 Balboa back in December. They let us know that co-owner Amy Capule would be offering a special service to lend a hand during these tough economic times.

That special service is resume counseling. Amy is a seasoned recruiter who has seen her fair share of resumes over the years. Every Saturday from 10am until 12noon, you’ll find her at the laundromat meeting with people and coaching them on how to improve their resumes. All for free.

SF Public Press recently published a video profile of the wash & dry / career center. Check it out below to see what Amybelle’s is up to and what sage advice Amy has for your resume.

Sarah B.

While picking up some kitty grass at Cal’s Pet Supply this weekend, I learned about plans for a new Petco location at 5411 Geary near 18th Avenue, formerly a Walgreens.

Cal’s has been operating as a boutique pet store at California and 22nd Avenue since 1986. Owner Roy Schmall is concerned about the effect that a big box pet retailer would have on his own business, as well as its potential to “diminish the friendly, small town atmosphere of the neighborhood.”

So much so that after hearing the large retailer was looking over the nearby Geary location, Schmall began gathering signatures on a petition and reaching out to other neighborhood pet-related stores. So far he has about 150 signatures from customers and supporters; the petition can also be signed online.

Petco has not yet applied for their conditional use permit, though they filed and were approved in late July for one building permit to install new flooring and sheetrock (application #201007207013). Their lawyers have also been in touch with neighborhood groups to feel out the climate for Petco to move in.

It’s unknown what range of products and services this new Petco would offer, but it could pose stiff competition to a variety of small, pet-related businesses in the Richmond including groomers (Barking Lot at 3239 Balboa Street, Groom at 938 Clement Street), aquarium stores (6th Ave. Aquarium at 425 Clement Street, Lucky Ocean Aquarium at 109 Balboa Street) and other pet supply stores (B&B Pet Supplies at 4820 Geary Street). Schmall has reached out to many of them for support.

A similar campaign was launched to fight a Pet Food Express at the former Hollywood Video location at California Street near Presidio. But despite gathering 500 signatures, Pet Food Express was recently approved for their conditional use permit and should be opening its doors later this year.

However it’s been proven that neighbors and small businesses can prevent a large retailer from coming into a neighborhood. Pet Food Express first tried, unsuccessfully, to open in the Marina District at a former Blockbuster location. Neighbors and small business owners in the area argued that seven smaller, independently owned pet stores in the neighborhood would be put out of business by the large retail store. Their conditional use permit for that location was denied in November 2009, leading them to the Laurel Heights location.

Petco currently has two locations in San Francisco at 2300 16th Street near Potrero and 1591 Sloat Boulevard. Both of these stores are part of larger malls with ample parking. Some neighbors who have signed the petition against Petco are concerned about the new Petco contributing to the Richmond’s parking woes.

What do you think? Are you concerned about Petco moving in? Or would you continue to shop at the smaller pet stores even if Petco moved in on Geary?

Sarah B.

The location Petco is considering at 5411 Geary, formerly a Walgreens.