Heart of the City

Richmond

Clement Hsu admits that he wasn’t sure about opening a business in the Richmond.

“When we found this corner of Clement Street and 15th,” Clem recalls, “It didn’t feel exactly special at the moment; but I think it’s because we hadn’t fully grasped how the Richmond District and the community in our neighborhood is so tightly knit.”

Since opening Breadbelly in the middle of the neighborhood, Clem and his co-founders, Katherine Campecino-Wong and James Wong, have earned local loyalty and national accolades. What began as a pastry pop-up in 2018 has now become not only a James Beard Award-recognized bakery, but also an extension of people’s homes.

“The core of our identity is hospitality,” he says. “We want to provide a space for our neighbors to come and feel welcomed.”

Breadbelly’s reputation has grown so much that Clem and his team know to expect an influx of customers from other neighborhoods on the weekends. Yet it’s the regulars they see during the week—sometimes twice in one day—that let them know they’ve succeeded. “People support each other,” he says, “They’re supportive of our endeavors. It’s a great place to be creative.”

Clem and the Breadbelly team showcase their ingenuity in what they place on their menu: a more traditional breakfast sandwich alongside a spring kasujiru soup and the oh-so-popular kaya toast, a thick slice of milk bread topped with eye-popping coconut-pandan jam. In a neighborhood with rich Asian cultural and culinary history, the lane that Clem has carved for his business resonates strongly.

Engaging with your customers is something Kevin Ryan understands. Nearly 30 years ago, after time spent as an employee of Green Apple Books, Kevin and two colleagues purchased the Richmond bookstore from its original owner. By their design, very little has changed.

“The store has been in the exact same location for 57 years,” Kevin says, “We know the neighborhood and the customers know us.”

“We really focus on the experience,” he adds. “We had a group of students that did a little customer survey about what [people] love about the store, and one of the things they came back with was beauty. Just the beauty of the store. There’s 11 different kinds of flooring and things that got stapled to the wall 20 years ago. You can’t duplicate that. It’s just the vibe. It’s just a great place to be.”

For Kevin, the beauty of the Richmond extends beyond the shelves of Green Apple Books. “What I think makes San Francisco unique as a city, first and foremost, is its natural beauty. It draws people here from all over the world.”

Adam Bergeron makes his feelings about the Richmond crystal clear. “Without the Richmond District, San Francisco would just simply be less of a city,” he says. “It would be less beautiful, it would be less livable, and less warm and friendly."

Yet by Adam’s own admission, the neighborhood “went largely undiscovered until really recently. You just didn’t hear it discussed in the larger conversation of the city. Everyone kind of loved it as their little secret. Quite suddenly, it feels like a destination.”

There’s no denying that the Richmond’s seemingly newfound appeal is due, in part, to entrepreneurs like Clem, Kevin, and Adam, who have worked hard to create establishments that define the character of the neighborhood. Of the three, Adam has perhaps the most unexpected origin story.

“One day, my wife and I came to a matinee at the Balboa Theater,” he says. After the screening ended, “we stood across the street and I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to [own] a theater that was so sweet?”

An impulsive Google search that evening turned up the news that there would be a town hall meeting that weekend to determine the fate of the theater. In Adam’s recollection, “it was dangling by a thread.” He and his wife, Jackie, attended the meeting. “Six weeks later,” he recalls, “We were running the Balboa Theater.”

Together, they grew their enterprise into Cinema SF and added the 4 Star Theater, another independent Richmond movie house, to their portfolio. “To have your own little historic movie theater is a pretty rare and unique treat,” Adam says. “My wife and I thought, “Let’s try not to lose these little gems.””

Adam shares a respect for and understanding of his customers that Clem and Kevin would recognize. “We know the movie fans and movie lovers of San Francisco come to these theaters,” he says, “and we program based on their requests.” The Balboa will show first-run blockbusters, but it will also host film festivals centered around subjects as varied as surfing or Godzilla. The 4 Star alternates screenings with live performances, and has earned a reputation among musical acts as a great place to perform.

“I think that a lot of that comes through [the] warmth and openness that we really try to exude.”

Sydney Peterson is the general manager of the 4 Star. They wear many hats, from booking acts to scooping popcorn. They wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s been a fun adventure, figuring out what we can do with the space,” Sydney says. “We want this to feel like the most magical version of your own living room.”

It’s a feeling that Sydney has been chasing since their youth. “When I was a kid, coming in from Sacramento, the focus of the trips that we were taking was on the beautiful history of this place. My parents were Deadheads, so we would visit the Haight. And my grandparents were big history nerds, so we would go to the museums. [San Francisco] felt, to me, like the bastion of art and culture on the West Coast; and I grew up feeling this place had this incredible energy that I just wanted to be a part of.”

Sydney knows they’re not alone in that feeling. “The people that move out here move out here because something catches them,” they say. “There is so much here to be discovered and celebrated. There’s so much beauty to take a chance on. I think all of the best people that you could possibly meet are in this neighborhood.”

No matter how they found their way to the Richmond, these locals have made it their home. It has fueled their livelihoods, invigorated their passions, and opened doors that they otherwise may never have found.

“Without my time in the Richmond District,” says Adam, “I just wouldn’t have as rich and full of a life as I have today.”

“The Richmond District’s amazing,” Clem says. “We’ve got everything. It’s hard not to be inspired.”

“It’s just one of the great neighborhoods of the city,” says Kevin. “We have a lot of funky little business that exist only here. They contribute to the fabric of the neighborhood."

“There is so much history that runs through everything,” Sydney says. “People that live here…want to be involved in dancing in that past and bringing the future to life.”