Home » City Guide » , ,

Trader Joe’s Coming to Hayes Valley… But Not Until 2023?

A much needed grocery store could come to Hayes Valley if permits are approved
By - posted 4/7/2021 No Comment

Thanks to SFGate and SocketSite for sharing the news that Trader Joe’s is pushing ahead with their plans to open at 555 Fulton St. in Hayes Valley.

The quirky grocery chain submitted their application in late March for the 17,000-square-foot ground floor vacant retail space of the Fulton 555 condo building.

If approved, the build out would likely only take 14 weeks, but the city permitting process is slow, which may delay the start until mid-2022, with a grand opening in 2022 or 2023.

A new grocery store would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood as the closest supermarket is Safeway about a half-mile away. Trader Joe’s would need an exception to Hayes Valley’s “formula retail” ban which restricts chains from opening in certain neighborhoods in order to help give more opportunities for leases to local businesses.