SF's Local's Corner restaurant vandalized with graffiti
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A popular restaurant in San Francisco's Mission District was vandalized early Friday morning. This is not the first time Local's Corner eatery has been tagged.
People in that neighborhood say it's another example of the outrage over gentrification.
Local's Corner has been vandalized a number of times in the past. The restaurant has been spray painted, a brick and a rock has been thrown through the window.
One of the owners of Local's Corner was busy removing the graffiti painted overnight. This is the sixth time the restaurant on 23rd and Bryant streets has been vandalized.
All of the windows were spray painted silver. The facade was almost entirely covered.
Neighbors who came to see the damage believe it's all about the animosity that exists because of the changes in the Mission District.
"If you lived here and suddenly your rent is going to be tripled, you get pretty resentful. If you live here and suddenly your corner store is gone but there is a fancy bistro you might get resentful," Mission District resident Nicholas O'neill said.
"You definitely see the conflict between all the money pouring into the Mission and the residents who are trying to continue their day to day," Mission District resident Judy Fitzpatrick said.
Another restaurant Salumeria on Florida and 20th streets has been tagged 12 times in the past two years.
"It's unfortunate because of the neighborhood and everything. We're hoping to change the neighborhood and make things a little better around here and it's turning around, but it's kind of an unavoidable here thing right now," Salumeria chef Grant Cotner said.
With regard to Local's Corner, some community leaders say the owners have not been popular because the restaurant once refused to seat a large Latino family. But the owners, who want to keep a low profile, said they didn't have a table big enough for them.
Latino community leaders have sat down with restaurants like this one to find better ways to work with the neighborhood instead of trying to change it.
"On the other hand you're a young business owner and you are trying to start out a new business and you open a bistro should you be punished?" O'neill said.
