News
Growing toy store leases prime San Francisco location
August 26, 2024 • Source: SF Business Times • Posted in: Company News
A burgeoning San Francisco toy store, Just For Fun, has secured a rare and larger-than-typical space on a high-end stretch of Pacific Heights for its third store.
The space at 2185 Fillmore St. was home to toy and children's clothing retailer Mudpie, which has moved down the street to 2121 Fillmore. It marks the second new store for Just For Fun proprietor Michelle O'Connor, who acquired the business from its longtime owners in 2021.
Blatteis Realty brokered the long-term lease deal but declined to comment beyond confirming their involvement. Per a listing brochure, the space includes a 3,200-square-foot ground level, a 3,200-square-foot basement and a 1,200-square-foot mezzanine.
"We've had people walk by this space describe it as the 'jewel in the crown of Fillmore Street,'" O'Connor said in a recent interview. "With this neighborhood, we maybe wouldn't have had the opportunity during 2019 peak times."
O'Connor opened a smaller 700-square-foot store at 1957 Union St. this June, adding to the original location at 3982 24th St. in Noe Valley.
In the Upper Fillmore O'Connor sees an opportunity for a declining breed in San Francisco: the large urban toy store, which took another hit with the closing of downtown stalwart Jeffrey's Toys earlier this year. She said that Pacific Heights offers its share of fresh tourist traffic and more accessible rents post-Covid.
Just For Fun & Scribbledoodles, originally established in 1987, sells toys, gifts, cards, art supplies and homeware. The store also hosts pop-up events and a Pokémon club that provides related merchandise discounts and connects players for trades and battles.
O'Connor, originally from the United Kingdom, moved to the Bay Area with her family in 2019. With inspiration from her eight-year-old daughter and four-year-old son, she became intrigued by the prospect of growing their neighborhood's local toy store. She formally acquired the business in August 2021.
Just For Fun expects to open its Fillmore store on Oct. 1, in time for the crucial busy holiday season.
"We're going to make the space beautiful for Christmas," O'Connor said. "We make it our business to be magical."
External Link: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2024/08/26/just-for-fun-retail-toys-pac-heights-2185-fillmore.html