A new Banana Republic opened in Downtown San Francisco Thursday, and while clothes were on the racks, there was no cocktail bar, despite parent company Gap’s promises of one.
“We’re not going to have a bar,” General Manager Michael Snyder said. “That may have been in the original plans, but we’re not set up for that right now.”
Gap, which was contacted for comment, said in a Jan. 30 press release that the company planned to have a cocktail bar at the new 152 Geary St. location, and it was previously reported the location would open with one.
“The brand will continue to test and iterate on personalized services, including a full-service bar where customers can sip on a cocktail or a glass of bubbly as they are styled with a new BR wardrobe,” Gap said in the press release.
The Banana Republic at 2 Folsom St. has a coffee bar for customers.
The Banana Republic’s opening was slightly delayed, with the location originally planned to open by the end of September.
Banana Republic staff, who were not authorized to speak with the press and asked to remain anonymous, said they have not seen any shoplifters so far and expect to see a rush of customers this weekend.
“It’s Fleet Week, so we think it’s going to be pretty busy,” one staff member said.
When The Standard visited and asked to speak with customers, the general manager initially gave permission but retracted it minutes later.
When The Standard tried to speak with a customer anyway, a staff member cut in before the interview was complete and told The Standard again to not speak with patrons.
The Banana Republic’s opening in Union Square comes as the plaza sees stores closing down.
In June, Westfield ceased operating the San Francisco Centre, a shopping center known as the “Westfield Mall” for decades. During the pandemic, nearly half of Union Square’s retailers closed down, with only 53% of pre-pandemic retailers still in business.
More recently, stores have made plans to fill out the vacancies left by the exodus. A Hot 8 Yoga studio, a favorite of Jessica Alba, opened a location just east of Union Square.