Jillian D'Onfro

San Francisco

Reporter at The San Francisco Standard

Business reporter at @SFStandard ✨ Formerly at SFGATE, Business Insider, CNBC, and Forbes. DM me tips, story ideas, and your favorite short fiction

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Articles

Lower Haight events and community space The Center will close on June 22

1 week ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro

The Center, a self-described “magical tea house” and events hub in the Lower Haight, will shut its doors for good on June 22. “I know this news is difficult, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of this journey,” wrote co-founder and CEO Zack Wexler-Beron in a message to the venue’s facilitators on Monday evening.
Our rollercoaster Zoox ride through SF made us slightly sick

1 week ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro |Rya Jetha

The Amazon-owned company has been testing its driverless (and steering-wheel-less) vehicles in SoMa, the Mission, and the Design District since November, but they’re not publicly accessible — so it was thrilling when two reporters received an invite to take a spin in the toaster on wheels. To catch our ride, we arrived at Zoox’s SoMa outpost, a sprawling warehouse filled with Toyota SUV test vehicles and dozens of carriage-style robotaxis painted “aloe” green.
Clay Theater on Fillmore Street begins major rehabilitation

2 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro

The 112-year-old Clay Theater on Fillmore Street, which has been closed since early 2020, is on its way to a new life. The Clay Theater will require extensive renovations to return its glory. When the work is completed, the theater will seat 200 people and host more than 500 screenings annually, according to Mehta’s team.
Ferry Building lease dispute leaves bakery owner feeling burned

2 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro

The managers of the Ferry Building have selected a cafe to replace a local bakery that claims it is being unfairly drummed out. The owners of the bakery say this adds insult to injury. Oakland-based Red Bay Coffee will move into the space vacated by Grande Creperie, whose owners, Patrick and Joanna Ascaso, said a verbal offer to extend their lease past June 30 was abruptly revoked because management didn’t believe the business fit the Ferry Building’s “cultural mix.” “It hurts.
San Francisco tourists are loving the city's glow up, tour guides say

3 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro

When Allan Graves and his team at Love Tours load visitors into the company’s hand-painted psychedelic Volkswagen “hippie bus” to drive them around San Francisco, they don’t just cruise past landmarks like Haight-Ashbury and the Painted Ladies. Alongside the attractions and pretty vistas, Graves makes a point of taking guests through “the heart of the Tenderloin” so they see the city’s grittier corridors. Except lately, the neighborhood’s struggles haven’t felt nearly as conspicuous.
A major retailer is coming back to SF — albeit in a drastically scaled-back form

3 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro

The company received approval Thursday at a Planning Commission meeting to open a Nordstrom Local hub at 1919 Fillmore St. in Pacific Heights. The concept store won’t offer traditional inventory but will give shoppers a place to pick up and try on online orders, make returns, or get clothing alterations. The 1,750-square-foot space where the Nordstrom Local plans to open has been empty since the stationery store Minted closed early in the pandemic, aside from a temporary retail tenant last year.
One SF street, two hotels, and a lawsuit over mistaken identity

3 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro

When luggage-toting tourists started showing up at The Grove Inn in Hayes Valley who didn’t show up in the hotel’s reservation system, employees initially suspected a glitch in the booking software, owner Josh Zimmermann said. But they quickly realized that the situation was a recurring case of mistaken identity. Would-be guests arriving at Zimmerman’s hotel at 890 Grove St. had actually booked a stay four blocks down the road at the Inn on Grove.
Le Marais outpost Grand Creperie closing in the Ferry Building

3 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro

An outpost of a popular bakery in the Ferry Building is losing its lease, the owners said Tuesday. Le Marais Bakery owners Patrick and Joanna Ascaso announced the “sudden and unexpected” news in an Instagram post. The pair opened their offshoot shop, Grande Creperie, in the Ferry Building in spring 2022.
Burning Man ticket site plans to refund buyers after tax snafu.

1 month ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro

It’s been a tough few years for Burning Man, the annual late-summer bacchanal in the Nevada desert. Now, less than three months before the 2025 festival, would-be Burners trying to buy tickets on the secondary market are accusing the official resale partner of doing them dirty.
California tourism expected to fall for the first time in five years

1 month ago | sfstandard.com | Jillian D'Onfro

International visitor numbers are predicted to plummet, especially from Mexico and Canada. The state is trying its damnedest to woo them back. California is doing the tourism equivalent of holding a boombox up to the window to woo back one of its most important visitor groups: Canadians.