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Thursday, March 07, 2019

Amid rent increase, San Francisco's only fortune cookie factory faces uncertain future

For 57 years, tourists, schoolchildren and locals have squeezed into the small storefront of the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory for a free sample and a sight of nimble-fingered workers folding fortune cookies the old-fashioned way.

But the future is uncertain for the last remaining fortune cookie factory in San Francisco, which the city granted legacy business status in 2016. Facing frequent rent and wage increases and fewer visitors, co-owner Kevin Chan is unsure how long he'll be able to keep the company his mother co-founded in 1962 running.

"I'm worried about the future right now," Chan told SFGATE Tuesday. "I don't know what to do."

Chan said monthly rent for the tiny store on Ross Alley is "nearing $6,000." Three years ago, it was about $1,400. The BBCfirst reported the rent increases in a Monday story.

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe they can see a brighter future in the next fortune cookie, just kidding.

Anonymous said...

Find a new Fortune. No one eats or reads those stale old things.

Anonymous said...

That rent increase is just nuts, the result of crazy taxes and even crazier landlords.

Anonymous said...

'Your rent will increase 3-fold', as seen in fortune cookie.

Anonymous said...

Everyone who eats Chinese food loves their fortune cookie. Move your business to a less expensive area,out of state if necessary,where you can buy the property and you won't have to worry about rent increases. I did that with 2 businesses and both proved to be the right move. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Should have bought the store when it was cheap. Go somewhere else and make fortune cookies. Problem solved.