SAN FRANCISCO — Culture, history and most importantly, vibrancy — that’s what each item sold represents for Nicole Williams and her five friends who took their passion for their heritage and turned it into a business, a place where shoppers can buy a piece of that passion.
“I go over to Africa, and I work with beautiful Black artists throughout different countries to create wearable art,” said Williams, who is a San Francisco business owner and co-founder of the Cowrie Collective. “We love quality products, and 85% of what you’re going to find here is handmade.”
The Cowrie Collective has only been open a month and a half, and the founders couldn’t be more excited about their future.
Mostly because of where they are — in the heart of downtown San Francisco.
Their business is part of San Francisco’s Vacant to Vibrant program.
“My first job as an adult was on Market Street, and I remember not really seeing shops that represented my culture,” she said.
In the years following the pandemic, San Francisco saw a rise in vacant retail and office space.
According to real estate agency Cushman & Wakefield, vacancy rates through the first quarter of this year at Union Square are around 20%.
The city is trying various ways to bring that number down.
One way grants people like Williams to operate a small business downtown.
Simon Bertrang is the executive director of SF New Deal, the organization leading the Vacant to Vibrant program.
“If you are opening up a small business, it can be pretty daunting for a business owner,” Bertrang said.
He said small businesses have the ability to create neighborhood charm while selling items that can’t be found elsewhere.
So far, more than a third of businesses coming through their program have been able to sign long-term leases beyond their initial trial run.
“Three years ago, when we launched it, the situation downtown was pretty dire,” Bertrang said. “Would they be able to have the foot traffic, have the revenue to be able to support a longer-term presence downtown.”
The program is funded by the Downtown Development Corporation, a nonprofit led by private donors so programs like Vacant to Vibrant can thrive.
“Downtown produces close to 40% of the city’s municipal tax revenues, so it is an incredibly productive area of the city,” said Shola Olatoye, the CEO of the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation.
For Williams, she grew up in San Francisco one day dreaming of owning her own store.
“When we saw the stores that were empty, it was sad. And so this is really an encouraging step towards revitalizing downtown San Francisco,” she said.
She is fulfilling that dream while helping the city come alive again.