Two restaurant closures push San Francisco Centre toward collapse
Mall faces widespread vacancy as two final food providers exit; foreclosure auction looms with 93% of space vacant
San Francisco Centre mall has lost two more of its last remaining restaurants, leaving only three food court options: Shake Shack, Sarku Japan, and Panda Express.
Charleys Cheesesteaks told its seven part-time employees it would be closing last week, and Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food served its final meals on Sept. 23 after running for three years. Sales had collapsed to as little as $300 on some days. Mohammad Waqar, owner of Mashaallah, said the heartbeat here is gone, in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.
Opened in 1988, the nine-story complex originally housed more than 200 stores and became part of the city’s shopping lore, with flagship tenants and the public phrase "Meet me under the Dome." In 2009 it won a best-of-the-best award from the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Cracks began in 2023 when Nordstrom closed its doors, and Westfield stopped paying its $558 million mortgage soon after. That started a cascade that has seen more than 100 stores shutter, a trend that continued this year with closures by Zara, Milk Tea, and Michael Kors.
A Macy’s spokesperson said in January that Bloomingdale’s was shutting down its five-story location 21 years before the end of the lease. The property’s value has tumbled since then, with an August appraisal placing it at about $195 million, more than $1 billion below its 2016 peak; approximately 93 percent of the retail space remains vacant.
A foreclosure auction is scheduled for September 18, and plans to transfer the title have been delayed eight times. Burke Williams Day Spa also left the mall this year, citing deteriorating conditions and safety concerns in the surrounding area; its president, Bill Amour, said the city had failed to provide for safety and the wellbeing of its people and businesses.
Even with the closures, some tenants remain, including Ray Ban, H&M, Foot Locker, and Boss. Shoppers on social media have voiced concern about the mall’s fate, with many lamenting the loss of downtown anchors.
Daily Mail has reached out to Mashaallah’s, Charleys Cheesesteaks, and the San Francisco Centre for comment and is awaiting response.