Before the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco was a popular tourist destination most well known for its nightlife and abundance of local restaurants, bars, and businesses. The lockdown changed everything. Businesses were forced to shut down temporarily, and the effect was devastating on the local economy. Some companies have been unable to recover and have had to shut their doors permanently.
Like much of California, San Francisco was hit particularly hard by the pandemic. San Francisco is a major tourist city in the United States, and because of this, the local businesses had developed themselves and planned with tourist business in mind.
This made the drastic drop in sales that came along with the COVID-19 pandemic even more difficult to deal with. Tourism all over the United States and throughout the world suffered greatly because of the pandemic. In cities that rely on tourism, such as San Francisco, the effect was devastating. Overall visitor spending dropped by approximately 80% during the pandemic, and the city’s general tourism revenue dropped by almost 70%.
This put San Francisco, and every other tourist-driven economy, in a difficult predicament. Without the constant influx of tourists and vacationers, businesses simply could not generate enough revenue to keep running the way they were before. Even with all of the pushes to support your local business, there was no way that the San Francisco locals could put enough money into the local economy to keep it going.
Post-Pandemic Revitalization
Now, after almost a year and a half of constant mask-wearing and social distancing, things have begun the process of going back to normal. More and more states lift their mask and social distancing mandates, allowing people to walk about stores and businesses at a full capacity and spend time outside, in public, without a mask. People can go to the movie theaters again and spend recreational time indoors, in some areas of the country, without a face covering.
As of June 15, the city started looking a lot different than it has throughout the 16 months. Bars and restaurants can seat customers at full or close to full capacity again. You enjoy outdoor spaces without having to think about social distancing and mask-wearing constantly. Things that were once considered normal and taken for granted are now happening: such as shaking hands, hugging, and even being able to actually see the faces of others again.
Business Highlight: The San Francisco Symphony
Starting in May 2021, for the first time in over a year, the San Francisco Symphony has been able to open its doors to patrons. Initially, there were significant restrictions; no brass or wind instruments were allowed because they were thought to be a possible risk factor for spreading COVID-19.
They have also had limited capacity and required proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test result. As of June 24, even more, has changed. The SF Symphony can now seat patrons at full capacity, and ticket holders will no longer be required to show proof of a negative test or vaccination. Of course, face masks are still required, but this is a big step forward for the San Francisco community.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly hard on the artists in our communities. Without the potential for a live audience, performers of all types ranging from actors to professional musicians, could not earn enough money to maintain their lives. As a result, many found themselves working minimum wage jobs just to get by.
With live performances starting again, performers can go back to the work that they love. Painters can reopen their galleries and start selling their work again. Theaters that were on the verge of shutting down now have hope for the future as they can start selling tickets again. You can even take the newly reopened cable car to get where you’re going while taking in the gorgeous views, but don’t forget to stop off at the 2ONE2 Dispensary!
Your Local San Francisco Dispensary
Now that tourism is returning to San Francisco, more and more businesses are opening their doors back up, including the 2ONE2 Dispensary. Located at 212 California Street, it is situated within the Financial District close to the ever-popular Ferry Building. In addition, the dispensary itself is near many historic restaurants and bars that the area is known for, making it the perfect stop during a night out on the town.
This dispensary sells everything from CBD balms and tinctures aimed at improving quality of life for those suffering from chronic pain or mental illness, to THC products for someone who is just looking for a night of relaxation and fun. So if you are in the area and are looking for a high-quality dispensary, be sure to give us a visit at 2ONE2 California Dispensary, and we can fulfill all your cannabis needs.
