Here is some link love for your Monday morning. Like these kinds of bits and pieces? Follow the blog on Facebook or Twitter.

• Toy Boat Cafe’s Jesse Fink profiled in the SF Chronicle
• TODAY only: Free cup of coffee at Peet’s. Ours is at 16th & Geary.
• Brother’s Restaurant #2 at 4014 Geary is closing and something called Umami is moving in. Via EaterSF
• Balboa Street’s Anzfer Farms is making art out of reclaimed wood from local beaches
• The Conservatory of Flowers is looking for volunteers. Training sessions start July 20 for Jungle Guides and Docents.
• Clark of Green Apple Books takes some interesting photos of the Inner Richmond. The one of women trying to build a perfect tray of eggs at the grocery is great.
• SF Water/Power/Sewer would like your opinion on potential new streetlight designs for the city. Take the survey
• Comedian Margaret Cho counts Louis’ as one of her favorite breakfast places in SF. She’ll be thrilled when they reopen.
• Ocean Beach Bulletin has a great article on the Merrie Way promenade/amusement park that used to be out by Lands End
• This church looks a little different today than it does here in 1951, but it’s still recognizable!

As reported today by Leah Garchik in the Chronicle, the new CVS Pharmacy and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market that opens next week is making their parking lot extra friendly for some customers.

In the lower lot on the 32nd Avenue side, there are four spaces designated especially for hybrid car drivers and adults with children. There are two spaces for each, marked with signs and a stencil in the space itself.

I didn’t make my way to the upper lot (you enter from Clement Street), so there may very well be more designated spaces up there.

The two businesses will open their doors next Wednesday, June 22. CVS will occupy half of the interior space, with Fresh & Easy on the other side.

But don’t worry – the green-minded and kid-toting crowd aren’t taking over the parking lot. There’s plenty of parking for regular shoppers too.

Plus we won’t be seeing Fresh & Easy carts all over the neighborhood. There are sensors on the carts that prevent them from leaving the parking lot.

Sarah B.

I hope everyone is enjoying this great weather we’re having! This smiley balloon is drifting outside Sparky’s Balloons today on Clement near Arguello.

The future showroom of Avetex Furniture at 25th & Geary. Inset: Vacant after Kragen Auto Parts moved out.

Avetex Furniture has been in business for 10 years, offering contemporary furnishings online and at their showroom at 6114 Geary Boulevard.

Business must be good because the company plans to open a new, larger showroom just across the street at the corner of 25th Avenue and Geary. The building used to be home to Kragen Auto Parts, but has been sitting vacant for at least a year, sometimes the target of practical jokes.

Manager Marina Shnayder tells us it’s been a challenge getting the new showroom ready. “The interior needed a lot of work,” she said. The exterior facade has also been painted with a fresh coat of brown paint.

Avetex anticipates opening their doors on July 1. The 6114 Geary location will still remain open.

I’m thrilled to hear that one of our larger retail spaces on Geary will be occupied again. Special thanks to cub reporter David H. for getting the scoop from Avetex, and to RichmondSFBlog reader Steve for the tip.

Sarah B.

The existing Avetex Furniture store at 6114 Geary

Renovations began on March 15, 2011 inside Louis’ Restaurant

Last year, the Richmond District’s iconic Louis’ Restaurant underwent an arduous process to get their lease renewed and extended.

The restaurant, which sits perched on the cliff overlooking the ruins of Sutro Baths, has been owned and run by the Hontalas family for 73 years. The restaurant was on a year to year lease with the National Park Service (the diner technically sits on federal land), and federal law required that the restaurant space be put up for bid by other vendors.

After thousands of signatures, a resolution by the Board of Supervisors and lots of public support, the Hontalas family won their bid to keep Louis’ going, earning a 10-year lease for their efforts.

But the lease had significant strings attached, including the requirement that they make major improvements to the physical building and change their food sourcing practices.

The restaurant closed in late November 2010 to begin the renovations, which was required at lease signing. However, the National Park Service was not ready for work to begin, so the start of the remodel was delayed until March 15, 2011. Unfortunately for the restaurant and its employees, that means nearly 8 months of being closed and out of work, as opposed to the original four they estimated.

I got in touch with owner Tom Hontalas who sent me a lengthy list of the changes they’re making to Louis’, which include gutting the dining room and most of the kitchen.

Many of the materials being put into the remodel are green, including new flooring tiles made with 55% recycled materials; they’re recovering most walls with sustainable bamboo siding. They’re using reclaimed wood on a new, second (emergency) exit that goes out the west side of the building onto the sidewalk, and installing LED lights throughout the dining room and T8 flourescent lights in the kitchen and storage areas. Even the new appliances are energy star compliant.

They’re also installing a new fire sprinkler system and recovering all of their existing tabletops, booth and counter seats.

Louis’ will also be ADA compliant after the renovations, offering a single, unisex bathroom with wheelchair access.

On top of all the renovations, Louis’ is also required to change how and where they purchase food supplies for the diner. Their new lease stipulates that all the produce they purchase be certified organic and be sourced within 200 miles of their property. The only exception to this is tomatoes, which can be sourced from a further distance to seasonal availability.

Other requirements for their food sourcing include:

• all bread, danish, muffins and desserts shall be sourced within 25 miles of the property
• all meat shall be all natural, hormone and antibiotic free, vegetarian fed, and humanely raised
• eggs shall be cage-free and sourced within 100 miles of the property
• all coffee shall be certified organic and certified fair trade

While Louis’ was welcome to choose whatever food vendors they wanted in the past, owner Tom Hontalas says these new requirements are just part of doing business. “We do understand that the NPS wants concessions that share their view as far as offering locally produced, organic, and healthy meals,” Hontalas said.

In addition to changes from their new lease, the owners are also tapping their loyal customer base via their Facebook page for ideas on new menu items and how to improve service. Among the suggestions for new menu items were “lighter green salads”, “healthier menu with local organic ingredients”, and traditional waffles (“The kind with the small depressions, not those “Belgian” kinds”).

All told, Louis’ is spending $500,000 on the extensive renovations. When asked if the restaurant plans to raise their prices after it reopens, owner Tom Hontalas replied, “Due to increased rent, higher food cost, and the monthly loan payments, it is inevitable that our prices will increase. We always felt that we offered our customers a great meal at an affordable price, and we hope that they will still feel the same.”

Louis’ is hoping to re-open at the end of July. If you’d like to track their progress, follow them on Facebook or visit their new website (still under construction).

What do you think of the renovations and changes underway at Louis’? Leave a comment to let us know.

Sarah B.

A photo inside Louis’ before the remodel. Photo by The Tens.

Outside Louis’ Restaurant, circa 1947. L to R: Louis Hontalas, his oldest son, John, Danny Hountalas and Danny’s father, Mike. Danny now runs the Cliff House, also a concession of the National Park Service. Courtesy of Louis’ Facebook page

You might wonder why one of the most popular independent bookstores in San Francisco would host an event about digital books. But it’s true:

Yeah, we were pretty terrified of them too, until we discovered that Green Apple can sell Google eBooks and continue to provide for all of our customers’ reading needs, digital or otherwise, and still fight the good fight to remain a thriving local business.

In the spirit of keeping up with the changing times, Green Apple is teaming up with Google to offer a “technology petting zoo” where customers can come by and learn how to buy eBooks, and how to read them on any eReader.

Any reader except the Amazon Kindle that is; Google eBooks don’t work on it. Plus Green Apple has done their fair share of Kindle-bashing via a 10 part video series.

The eBook event takes place next Wednesday, June 8 at Green Apple Books (506 Clement) from 5pm until 8pm.

Sarah B.

The debate over whether or not Petco should be allowed to open up one of their Petco Unleashed stores at 5411 Geary Avenue has been fierce.

On one side are the owners and supporters of the small pet stores that already exist in the neighborhood, who argue that Petco’s size and pricing advantage could drive the small shops out of business. Several of the pet store owners have banded together to fight Petco.

On the other side are people concerned about the high commercial vacancy rate in the Richmond District, estimated at 25% – considerably higher than the city average of 4%. The space Petco is looking to take over is 5,000 square feet, arguably too large for any small mom-and-pop retailer to manage. So what, other than a chain store, could afford to move in there? (5411 Geary used to be a Walgreens)

Neighborhood meetings have been heated and in March, after Petco applied for their permit, Richmond District Supervisor Eric Mar responded by introducing uber-specific legislation that would prohibit all chain pet-supply stores from opening along Geary Boulevard between 14th and 28th Avenues. The legislation was backed by the Small Business Administration in early May.

The legislation, Mar told the SF Examiner, is “to protect the several small mom-and-pop pet-supply businesses already in the neighborhood.”

Today the SF Examiner reports that Petco is prepared to carry on the fight to take over the 5411 Geary space.

Petco sent a letter to Mar and the City Attorney’s Office calling the proposal illegal. “We believe the proposed ordinance exceeds the city’s police power, infringes on the project sponsor’s equal protection rights and, if enacted, would be invalid under federal and state law,” said the letter from Andrew Junius, of the Rueben and Junius law firm, which is representing Petco.

The City Attorney’s office told the Examiner they “are confident that we will reach an outcome that is legally sound and in the best interests of The City.”

Petco would like to see the legislation amended, or better yet, withdrawn altogether. It remains to be seen whether Mar’s legislation banning chain pet stores on central Geary will stick, or if it will just prove to be ceremonial.

Tricia Principe, the owner of Cal’s Pet Supply on California and 22nd Avenue, is committed to continuing the fight against Petco. “We are still committed to the concept that a family/neighborhood pet supplies store works best for the Richmond District. This latest move won’t deter us from gathering support for Supervisor Mar’s legislation. PETCO already has turned a deaf ear to any positive suggestions and would rather spend money hiring lawyers.”

Yet despite the support from small business owners and some residents, Mar knows the fight is far from over. He told the Examiner earlier this year, “According to many small businesses, the game is still played largely in favor of bigger businesses that can hire their lobbying firms and often they can win their six votes on the Board of Supervisors.”

Sarah B.

The interior of an Unleashed by PetCo store in Hillcrest, CA

It’s been a long time coming but the opening date has been announced as Wednesday, June 22 for the Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market at 3132 Clement near 32nd Avenue.

The market’s emphasis is on what its name infers – fresh foods and easy shopping. They get high marks from their Southern California customers for offering grocery basics at affordable prices along with fresh, prepared foods and meals.

Fresh & Easy is part of Tesco, a global grocery and general merchandising retailer headquartered in the UK. They are the third largest retailer in the world.

In honor of the opening on 32nd Avenue, Fresh & Easy is sponsoring a special $1,000 donation to a local, non-profit (hopefully one right in the neighborhood). Nominations can be submitted at freshandeasy.com. Store employees will select the winning charity the week the store opens.

Fresh & Easy is still hiring for the 32nd Avenue location; they expect to have more than 25 positions at the store. Interested applicants can apply online at freshandeasy.com.

“I look forward to the Fresh and Easy store opening and welcoming a new business that is partnering with the community and giving back to schools and community organizations in the Richmond District,” said Supervisor Eric Mar.

Fresh & Easy will share the 3132 Clement Street space with CVS Pharmacy, but their opening date is unknown at this time. They were recently in the news for applying for a permit to sell alcoholic beverages (Fresh & Easy will also sell alcohol).

I’m sure there will be more details about the grand opening as we get closer to the date. I’ll let you know what I hear but in the meantime, go nominate your favorite neighborhood non-profit for a chance to win them a $1,000 donation.

Sarah B.