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See’s Candies vacates Union Square
By: Katie Worth
06/19/09 12:24 PM PDT
Next time you’re at Union Square and are just dying for some peanut brittle, get ready for a shocker: See’s Candies, which for years has provided a chocolaty outpost in one of the kiosks in the plaza, could not meet city demands and left Union Square.
See’s originally leased the kiosk from the San Francisco Parks Trust, but the kiosk was later transferred to The City, said Rich Hillis, deputy director of Recreation and Parks.
After it changed hands, See’s lease came up, at which point The City discovered that See’s was not providing all of the same benefits for domestic partners that it does for spouses – something The City requires of all companies it does business with.
See’s declined to change its policy and the lease was not renewed, Hillis said. The last candy morsel was vacated from the premises June 5.
To fill the space, The City is allowing Emporio Rulli, the vendor that rents the kiosk on the Stockton Street side of the square, rent the old See’s space for the next three years. Owner Gary Rulli plans to use that space to sell Italian pastries and hand-roasted coffees, and at lunch, serve panini sandwiches with fresh soups or salads.
So peanut brittle is out, but maybe you can console yourself with some biscotti and espresso.
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