166-year-old San Francisco luxury store threatens to close over "unsafe" street conditions

A San Francisco retail institution is warning it might have to close its doors after more than 160 years in business, blaming the Union Square store's surrounding street conditions for its uncertain path forward. 

In an open letter to city leaders published in the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday, John Chachas, the owner of luxury home decor store Gump's, claimed rampant homelessness, public drug use and other conditions have made the city "unlivable for its residents, unsafe for our employees, and unwelcome to visitors from around the world."

The letter, which ran as a paid advertisement, comes as some other businesses have pulled back or closed locations in San Francisco, citing safety issues and a falloff in customer traffic. Chachas implored San Francisco mayor London Breed, California governor Gavin Newsom and the city supervisors to clean city streets, remove homeless encampments and enforce local ordinances.