San Francisco Restaurant Owner Explains Why He Moved to Texas
San Fran is “more dangerous, dirtier [and] very expensive to deal with everything, in any aspect private life.”
Elia Gambaccini owned Caffe Baonecci in San Francisco until she decided to move her family to Frisco, TX, in late 2021.
The location of Caffe Baonecci was Danilo Bakery when it appeared in Mrs. Doubtfire. It was also in Tim Burton’s Big Eyes. The San Francisco residents made it a popular restaurant.
From NBC Bay Area:
Gambaccini said it was due to a combination of factors including the pandemic, rents and costs and even conditions in the city.
“More dangerous, dirtier very expensive to deal with everything in any aspect private life,” he said. “Business wise, that’s that something made us change our mind and get the idea to move and try to find different place.”
Gambaccini said that he had contacts in the Texas and decided to give it a shot. They are working on opening a new Italian restaurant there very soon.
“The weather is a bit crazy but its so easy the bureaucracy process with dealing with paperwork licensing,” he said. Gambaccini added that it was less expensive and easy in Texas.
In December, the stats showed that San Francisco is the most expensive city to live in…for the sixth year in a row.
Prices in San Francisco are “17% higher than the 2020 national average.”
The San Francisco Chronicle wrote about the residents’ frustration over the police not doing anything when confronted with a crime. They all came forward when they learned about the police doing nothing after firefighters told an officer about a man wrecking a parklet. The officer didn’t do anything. The suspect is only in jail “because he allegedly went on to commit more vandalism days after the Wine Society mess.”
It’s awful in San Fran. The residents believe the police do not care about property crime:
After reading the column about the parklet, Supervisor Hillary Ronen wrote a letter to [Police Chief Bill] Scott demanding answers. She told him she’d witnessed officers tell her constituents there’s no point in investigating or arresting a suspect because [San Fran District Attorney Chesa] Boudin won’t prosecute anyway — an assertion the D.A. rejects, though he does strive to reduce incarceration.
The letter highlighted alarming data backing up many residents’ concerns that police have thrown up their hands. For example, last year the Department of Police Accountability opened 595 cases into alleged police wrongdoing; the largest share by far, 42.6%, related to “neglect of duty.” That percentage has ticked up steadily since 2016, when neglect of duty made up 32% of complaints.
Ronen’s letter stated that of all the crimes reported in San Francisco in 2021, just 8.1% led to arrests, the lowest rate in a decade. Just 3.5% of reported property crimes yielded arrests. And, of course, that doesn’t include all the crimes residents have stopped bothering to tell police about.
The homeless problem in San Francisco has become so bad that charities have asked residents to house a homeless person. The Bay Area has about 30,000 homeless people:
“This is something that someone can do when they just feel that despair of ‘oh my gosh, I just can’t stand seeing these poor people on the streets near my home,’ ” said Christi Carpenter, executive director of East Bay nonprofit Safe Time, which places unhoused college students and families in spare bedrooms for between one and six months. Since 2017, the group has made more than 60 placements.
Richmond Mayor Tom Butt recently partnered with the Rotary Club to match unhoused people with local landlords. The small program will be funded entirely by private donations and landlords will get one year’s rent in advance. The number of people Butt can house depends on donations and volunteer interest, but he already has two more landlords lined up.
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“I voted to reduce the value of my own lifestyle and my property to zero, then moved away to a netter place to vote there.”
It reminds me of an online ad I saw 20 years ago: “I’ve been scammed five times and gone bankrupt twice! Send $xx for my booklet about my experiences so you can avoid being scammed!” I always wondered what sort of numbnuts bought that book. Wouldn’t you rather buy a book from someone who has successfully avoided being scammed all his life?
Speaking of scams, I recently ran across a family who paid $50,000 upfront for a solar system which does not work., I sounds like the company has defrauded a bunch of people.
I’m trying to imagine a solar system that doesn’t work.
And one, working or not, that can be had for a mere $50,000. Unless it’s like those fake “Lunar land registries”, or the “Name a star” businesses, where it’s understood that it’s just a novelty and all you’re really buying is a pretty certificate.
When I first moved to Arizona, I ordered the simplest PE solar system possible: pool pump. Sun up, pump on; sun down, pump off. It was a dismal failure, even after they doubled the number of panels (covering most of my roof to run one stupid pump). I got my money back, and the experience soured me on PE from then on.
Solar hot water, on the other hand, I swear by. I have systems for my house and my pool.
What do you think about solar electric with water/antifreeze heat collector, cooling the panel improves solar electric efficiency?
I don’t speak acronym. Are you referring to a company called PESolar?
I am really surprised that the panels didn’t work. I’d appreciate more detail. I looked into panels when I had a house built in late 2017. Did the numbers and concluded that they were uncompetitive with utility-supplied juice where we live. But when I ran the numbers, I assumed that panels would work as specified.
I also looked into solar hot water, having had a friend who installed a system at his place. A different friend with 20+ years in the home remodeling business, and an all-around smart guy, discouraged it. I can no longer remember why, but he steered me right on a bunch of other parts of the building project so I went with his advice without looking further. By the time I got to that point, I had house-building fatigue and was not inclined to dive down that particular rabbit hole.
In any case, if you check back here, I hope you’ll post more about the panels that didn’t work. Do you know, for example, who the manufacturer was? If it came from that “PESolar” outfit, when I clicked around I came away with the impression that they don’t actually make the panels but only sell, install, and finance them. Solar panels vary in quality, so I really wonder.
Was there any sort of performance warranty? Is that why you got the money back? I don’t doubt your story at all, but am simply curious. By the way, even if panels would’ve been break-even, I’m very glad I skipped the idea. This winter, we had 10 feet of snow between Dec. 13 and Jan. 6. I had planned on ground-mounting them, and if I’d done it I’d have had a lot of difficulty clearing the snow from them.
Roof-mounted panels are a dicey proposition because of the need to clean and clear them after snow, and even rain, which leaves dirt on the panels and reduces generation. The last thing I’d want to do is have to get on a ladder frequently. If I’d put panels on the roof this year, well, I think we had 3 feet of snow and ice up there. God only knows.
I enjoyed the charity asking people to take in the homeless into private homes.
Anyone who does that is mad.
It will quickly become a nightmare.
I do note only 60 people have been placed in that program.
Just wait for the reporting of crimes against the host families.
Most people in Hollyweird and “serving the public” in Congress have numerous homes. Just ask Bernie why he suddenly doesn’t disdain millionaires . . . now that he is one and has at least three homes. Not one of which is occupied by the homeless.
These people are liars and grifters, but you knew that right? This was your point all along?
I actually took in a homeless guy about 20 years ago. But there were special circumstances too long to get into here. If some charity in S.F. wanted me to take in homeless people, my answer would be an impolite version of “NO.”
Will Texas survive people leaving California? Will those do the same things in Texas which made California a shit hole?
I have friends in Texas and considered moving there, but rejected it because of demographic trends.
I am a conservative who moved from NY state to Texas six months ago. There are more of us than you know.
Lots of people moving to Texas or Florida think they are conservatives.
Problem is, lots of those people are just wrong.
They’ve Dunning-Krugered themselves into thinking they are conservative, just because they’re somewhere to the right of the Maoists in New York, Massachusetts, or California. Which means they’re actually still somewhere to the left of Hubert Humphrey.
Personally, I think that higher population densities brings out the worst in people. I allows bad apples to band together.
Because you are a build your own google squish guy who is against use of government for good I suspect that means they have a much better idea of what conservatism is than you do.
Says the guy who celebrates all the RINO congressmen.
Q.E.D.
Too cynical. I’ve lived all across the country. There are substantial numbers of conservatives in liberal states. I understand your skepticism, but I cannot go that far. Too much personal experience.
I think the meme of blue voters leaving CA and NY for TX and FL and maintaining their pernicious voting habits is overblown. Almost twice as many votes were cast by Republicans than Dems in the Texas primary last week, and since Nov 21 there are now more registered GOP voters than Dems in Florida for the first time ever. I also think the Dems are unwilling to recognize that many of those new Republicans are minorities as well.
Of course, that may not continue forever, but it can be sustained for a while if local GOP organizations don’t take things for granted, seek out and welcome the newcomers and remind them why they left.
Sorry, that’s ridiculous. Yes, libs are moving to Austin, but most of the rest of Texas is solidly red. Tell your friends not to move to the cities… But Fort Worth does have a Republican Mayor.
“most of the rest of Texas is solidly red”
For how long?
Yeah, worried about Florida, too.
Saw that the dems are going to have to defend their normally safe locations in some Mexican dominated border counties. Apparently the dems are finding out that the people aren’t as Latinx or however it’s done, aren’t as liberal as they thought.
https://cis.org/Arthur/Texas-Monthly-Why-Democrats-Are-Losing-Texas-Latinos
Like most Americans, they are interested in the well-being of themselves and their families
The only major city in Texas to have a Republican major unfortunately
Oddly enough, Ft Worth used to be more of a Dem stronghold than Dallas. They’ve switched positions in the last 20 years.
It was a different Democratic Party, that’s for sure.
What are these demographic trends?
A steady influx of phantom voters
Someone from SF calls Frisco, Texas, weather crazy? I remember being at a Giants day game 20+ years ago on June 1 in a winter coat.
You and me both…not to mention the smell of the dump
Candlestink Park?
The coldest winter I ever spent was a night game watching the Giants at Candlestick Park. No, I’m not riffing off Mark Twain. Who may or may not have said the quote about the coldest winter/summer. It was just freezing cold. And I’ve been to Fairbanks in January.
And no I’m not exaggerating when I say that one, single night was an entire winter.
And I see what you did. But the one nice thing about freezing weather? The wind stops blowing and you can’t smell the stink.
“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco” – Mark Twain
LI posts always lead me on a journey of discovery. Today, I learned what a “parklet” is.
There was a radio personality in Portland decades ago, and he got this bit started about this tiny, about 10 sq ft pad of concrete on a median strip down town. He said the park was for leprechauns or some such nonsense, all meant as a running gag.
Eventually, the thing was actually turned into a park on the city park and rec roster.
And, of course, there is Absurdity Park in NE Portland. I forgot what street, but it was where the street took an odd jog, and that little area was just concrete. The city put two or three concrete picnic tables, and two concrete benches each. and a scrawny little tree that really didn’t have a chance. But, it was a park.
Gosh! Aren’t you going to share??!!
https://parkade.com/parklet-guide-and-how-to-build-a-parklet
That part about the police throwing up their hands? That can be a painful experience!
I threw up my hands once, but didn’t trim my nails first. The scratches at the back of my throat and on my uvula hurt like crazy for over a week!
Don’t ever bat your eyes, Griz.
Kudos to them for NOT choosing Austin.
Why would police bother arresting anyone? The perp will be released because the DA won’t prosecute and the individual officer runs the risk of scratching the perp which will then lead to officer’s being prosecuted. The voters in San Francisco voted in the politicians who are carrying out their wishes; so what are the voters complaining about?
What he needs to explain is will he still support the policies and politicians that got him forced out.
I’ve known these guys for 15 yrs. They aren’t liberals they just learned to keep their mouths shut. They should have left in March like I did. I knew it wasn’t going to be 2 wks to flatten the curve it was going to be forever. Homeless woman tried to attack me with a hammer, they put her in for 5150 dyed her hair blue and let her out the next day. She came back, I put her in again and left the state.
I’ve been in SF bayarea since 1959 and all the crazies came from other states and now it is destroyed.
“dyed her hair blue”
I’m fascinated. Is this a liberal dogwhistle, new-age homeopathy, “broken window policing,” or just the organic equivalent of having your tires chalked?
Whoever comes after me with a hammer will be shot. No hyperbole.
He won’t leave his progressive voting behind and he has no clue that all he got in SF was exactly what he voted for.
I hope he has a grease fire in his new kitchen and it burns him out. He can move to Seattle.
Sure. Seattle. I’m sure a vacant tent under I-5 will open up.
You don’t know him. Wishing something like this on a person you never met is heinous.
Reminds me of the black liberal Hollywood guy who wished a ‘grease fire’ on Trump.
You disgust me.
WA native. Married an IL native and bought a house there, too. Both homes in red counties, but states are blue. Hardly a point to voting in national and statewide elections because of the urban libsanity. Have toyed with putting out my “Pritzker sucks” sign in WA and my “Inslee sucks” sign in IL. Just for fun, you know.
When I moved to IL, locals labeled me “left coast liberal” and nothing would convince them otherwise. They were the same people who dismissed my aerospace background with “but you don’t know ag”. Yup. Intelligent and educated enough to help build ISS, ICBMs, etc., but also too dumb to poke a seed in dirt and wait for God to make it grow.
I’m not so quick to assume transplants from liberal states are liberals themselves. More often than not, they’ve been closet conservatives and loathe what liberals did to their former homes. Certainly it’s worth contending with them for more conservative beliefs/lifestyle as the reason for their “more accomodating” new home. IOW “don’t f’ it up for us’.
Writing is on the wall though … time will run out on my WA home before the IL home. I’ll damn sure miss it – but every place I loved as a young man is being paved over – or so trampled as to be unrecognizeable as the pristine vistas I once loved.
I moved out of Seattle to Eastern WA in 2017. I was a Dem until 2014 when Obama and Holder blessed the Ferguson riots. It was the last straw. My mantra had long been: “I’m a Democrat, but I’m not stupid about it.” When they made me feel stupid, I tossed a middle finger.
My errant fantasy would be to meet up with some of these Seattle “leaders” and congratulate them for doing the impossible — turned me into a wingnut. And a gun owner. Bought my first one after the Seattle police took 45 minutes to respond to a burglary in progress about a half-mile from our house.
I watched Seattle fall off a cliff after about 2010. What had been a live-and-let-live liberal city turned into something very, very different. No one could’ve predicted the mayhem since 2020, but the response of the city officials, while infuriating, did not surprise me in the least.
And yet . . . let us recall that the voters of SF CHOSE Chesa Boudin knowing quite well what he promised (and has since delivered). Let us recall that the voters of the entire State of California CHOSE to decriminalize thefts of up to $950 EVERY DAY. You broke it, you bought it.
I am watching the recall vote. Donated a couple hundred bucks. If Boudin keeps that job, I’ll write off that city forever.