Are there cursed retail storefronts / restaurants in prime locations…you know the ones that are famous for a long string of failures despite ample traffic?
I recently sniffed sadly, passing the former San Francisco location of Jeremy’s, the Bay Area’s independent and even more upscale version of Filene’s Basement. The store was wildly successful for decades until the lure of renting overcame the allure of running a store.
So then Blue Bottle Coffee moves in and the rest is the building became occupied by other businesses.
The Blue Bottle has absolutely none of the energy and vibrancy of this hallowed designer bargain store which now sits in the middle of a startup gulch, at the end of a small oval South Park.
What better business to replace our addiction than coffee. Coffee with a following. It’s the opposite of cursed…or is it just smart business?
The other day a friend mentioned a burger joint that had replaced an upscale restaurant. How long do you think they can hang on in that cursed location? He asked.
I noted that nightly they had lots of diners. Their pricing seems realistic to support our high rents. Then again with labor shortages and people being a factor behind the businesses this may be the ultimate test of the “cursed location” theory!
