The Whole Foods Market Trinity store in downtown San Francisco has closed its doors to “ensure the safety of our Team Members,” a spokesperson for the specialty grocer said in an emailed statement Tuesday.
The spokesperson noted all staff will be transferred to other nearby locations after making the “difficult decision to close the Trinity store for the time being.” The grocer did not say if or when the store would reopen, but that it will evaluate reopening if the safety of employees can be ensured.
The 64,737-square-foot flagship store, located at Eighth and Market streets in the city’s Mid-Market neighborhood, closed its doors on April 11, a little over a year after opening in March 2022.
Reports from The San Francisco Standard cited “deteriorating street conditions” including drug use and crime as reasons for the Whole Foods closing. The local news source also reported the Trinity location cut back on operating hours due to “high theft and hostile people” in October and a month later had to limit restroom access after syringes and drug pipes were found inside.
Other national retailers have taken similar measures to protect the safety of employees. In July 2022, Starbucks said it would permanently close 16 stores due to safety issues. Six of those were in the Los Angeles area; another six in Seattle; two in Portland, Oregon; one in Philadelphia; and one in Washington, D.C., sister publication Restaurant Dive reported.
The coffee shop chain giant did not go into specifics surrounding incident reports and employee feedback regarding the 16 stores that closed. However, Starbucks had previously noted safety issues related to its open restrooms.
