The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has approved $1.9 million in assistance for Chinatown’s restaurants and food service shops.
Many business owners fear it still won’t be enough to save the neighborhood.
I walked into Yogesh Patel’s Chinatown souvenir shop just before 5 p.m. and was one of the few people to come in all day.
"Today, I make only $20," he told KCBS Radio.
He said there were tourists in the summer, at least on the weekends.
Now, hardly anyone is coming because they’re wondering where they can eat, Patel added. That’s because outdoor dining remains banned under the Bay Area’s regional stay-at-home order.
The supervisors have passed an appropriation to give out $1.9 million to keep those restaurants from closing, which many agreed is good news, however shop owners won’t see any of it.
Kevin Chan, owner of Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Company, said it’s concerning.
"Every retail store in Chinatown needs help," he said. "If you don’t save them, you will lose the tourist attractions and eventually no one will show up here."
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