San Francisco Centre mall, 95% empty, loses more restaurants

SF Centre Mall losing more restaurants

Two more restaurants exit the troubled San Francisco Centre mall

SAN FRANCISCO - Two more restaurants are closing their doors at the San Francisco Centre mall. It's yet another sign of the headwinds the mall faces.

Only 3 restaurants will remain

One restaurant closed Tuesday, another said they closed on Thursday. Finding food inside the 1.5 million square foot mall is getting tougher and tougher.

If the food court is the heart of a mall, then the food court at the San Francisco Centre would indicate that the mall is on life support.

The mall once boasted more than 20 options to grab a bite or a drink. Now that number has dwindled to just four.

Panda Express, Shake Shack, Charlie's Philly Steaks and now confirmation from workers here that Sarku Japan is closing. "

"They said today is the last day," said mall patron Scott Persinger.

It's just the latest restaurant to shutter as the foot traffic dwindles. "I think they just said that they have another location in San Jose or Santa Clara," said Persinger. "So, they're downsizing to that one."

Shockingly empty ghost town mall

Raven Moon said watching the mall shrink before her eyes has been a shock.

"Yeah, I worked right here at Pac Sun for two years when I was in high school," said Moon. "It's just sad."

Inside what was once a crowded food court, Charlie's Philly Steaks drew a handful of customers. Staff couldn't say how long they'd remain open. Diners said they remember when the mall and this food court were bustling with activity.

"Yeah, it's been pretty sad, honestly, to be frank," said George Hernandez. "Because it used to be pretty full, people were everywhere. Now it's completely empty, all the stores are gone."

Blessing in disguise

Just a few stalls away, Mashallaah Halal Pakistani Food closed down Tuesday. Owners Mohammad and Rabia Waqar, started from a food truck and moved to the mall in 2022 to rave reviews.

Over the years, they watched the foot traffic dwindle, and finally this week, closed for good.

Now the couple is preparing to reopen just a few blocks away on 5th Street. Mohammad said business in the mall started strong in 2022 around the holidays, but recently, with the lack of foot traffic, it was impossible to keep going. "It was scary," said Waqar. "Financially, because we weren't making any money. Matter of fact, we were putting the money every month to cover the expenses."

Now with loans and grants, he's planning on reopening and said he's ready for success.

"It's really a blessing, we're really excited to be here," said Waqar. "Very happy. Things happen for a reason."

The future of the mall is still a question mark. The latest estimates say that the mall is about 95% empty.

Mall up for auction

What's next:

Auctions have been scheduled numerous times in the past, and have been postponed time after time. Currently, the mall is set to go to auction on October 2nd, a week from today.

Featured