City Attorney cracks down on drug and gambling dens fronting as convenience stores

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 29, 2026) — City Attorney David Chiu issued the following statement today on the City Attorney’s Office’s progress in cracking down on nine Tenderloin gambling and drug dens that fronted as convenience stores. This update comes as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is looking to expand the nighttime safety ordinance that prohibits certain retail stores in high-traffic, drug market areas from operating late at night. The ordinance has been a key enforcement tool for the City Attorney’s Office in identifying and shutting down businesses that house substantial illegal activity.

“These convenience stores were magnets for drug activity, and, in some cases, the stores were selling illegal drugs themselves,” said City Attorney Chiu. “Most businesses contribute positively to our neighborhoods, but a handful of late-night retail establishments, like the ones we have shut down, attract significant criminal activity. The nighttime safety ordinance has been helpful in putting these stores on our radar and giving us additional tools to shut down problematic businesses. SFPD has been an incredible partner in this work to eradicate drug activity and protect our communities. We are looking forward to working with the community and utilizing the nighttime safety ordinance further should the Board of Supervisors pass legislation to extend and expand it.”

“The San Francisco Police Department is committed to keeping our streets clean and safe, and that includes cracking down on businesses violating the Nighttime Safety Ordinance or engaging in other illegal activity,” said SFPD Chief Derrick Lew. “We will continue to be relentless in our enforcement against illegal drug markets in every way imaginable. Thank you to City Attorney David Chiu and our other city partners in this crucial work.”

The nighttime safety ordinance, originally passed in July 2024, was developed in partnership with Tenderloin neighbors as a strategy to disrupt open-air drug markets. The two-year pilot program prohibits certain retail shops in areas of the Tenderloin from operating between 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. The ordinance generally applies to convenience stores and corner stores and does not impact restaurants, bars, or event halls. Stores that break the curfew are subject to fines of up to $1,000, and the City Attorney can sue repeat violators to ensure compliance with the law and recover fines.

The City Attorney’s successful utilization of the nighttime safety ordinance comes as Supervisor Matt Dorsey has put forth legislation to extend the ordinance another 18 months and expand the geographic boundaries to parts of South of Market struggling with nighttime drug activity. Supervisor Dorsey’s legislation was approved by the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee on January 22 and will move on to the full Board of Supervisors for approval in the coming weeks.

“This is a strategy that works, and it’s absolutely worth expanding to the 6th Street corridor and adjacent parts of SoMa that are disproportionately harmed by drug-driven lawlessness,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “At the same time, I also recognize we’re asking many law-abiding small businesses to sacrifice to help solve problems they haven’t caused. I truly appreciate the many businesses willing to do their part, so we can give the neighborhood an overnight cooling off period — and make it a less welcoming environment for public drug use, drug dealing, and all the drug-driven lawlessness like illegal fencing operations that fund rampant drug use. The bottom line is this approach will help — but it must also be part of a larger approach to escalate consequences for drug crimes, and turn off the magnet that for far too long has made San Francisco a destination for drug-related bad behavior.”

“The success of the late-night curfew pilot in the Tenderloin over the past year and a half has improved safety for residents, small businesses, and street conditions, while helping the City weed out bad actors – and it’s time to expand those benefits in the Tenderloin and SoMa,” said Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who represents the Tenderloin. “I commend our City Attorney and his team for taking this issue seriously and working with the Board of Supervisors to bring safety back to our neighborhood.”

In the last year and half, the City Attorney’s Office has sued or shut down nine stores that violated the nighttime safety ordinance or engaged in other illegal activity. The City Attorney’s Office has filed litigation against:

• SF Discount Market—SF Discount Market was a convenience store located at 238 Leavenworth Street. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) executed a search warrant and seized nine gambling slot machines, a high-capacity magazine for a Glock handgun, additional ammunition, 83 grams of cannabis, small plastic bags commonly used to sell cannabis, a digital scale, and $10,054 in cash. Officers also seized contraband and stolen property displayed for sale, including cartons of cigarettes from other states, 17 iPhones, and merchandise with original price stickers from stores like Walgreens and Sephora. SF Discount Market sold drug paraphernalia, including straight glass pipes commonly used to smoke methamphetamine and crack cocaine, and sheets of aluminum foil commonly used to smoke fentanyl. In October 2024, the City Attorney filed a lawsuit against the store for violating local and state laws, and the Court ordered the store to close while the lawsuit is ongoing.
• EZ Dollar Discount Store—EZ Dollar Discount Store was a corner store located at 335 Jones Street. SFPD executed a search warrant and seized six gambling machines, $2,181 in cash, a payment ledger, prizes in the form of Visa gift cards, a Bluetooth speaker, a solar charger and watch; and stolen merchandise on display for sale with Walgreens, CVS, Safeway, Big 5, Trader Joe’s, Target, and Harbor Freight branding. The store also sold glass pipes, digital scales, and small plastic baggies used to store narcotics. In April 2025, the City Attorney filed a lawsuit against the store for violating local and state laws, and the property owners evicted the store shortly after.
• Ed’s Market—Ed’s Market was a convenience store located at 153 Turk Street. After receiving complaints about illegal gambling at the store and conducting an undercover investigation, SFPD executed a search warrant and seized 11 gambling machines, $3,936 in cash, and hundreds of glass pipes and Brillo pads, commonly used to smoke methamphetamine and crack cocaine. In April 2025, the City Attorney filed a lawsuit against the store for violating local and state laws, and the property owners evicted the store shortly after.
• Family Corner Discounts—Family Corner Discounts was a corner store located at 401 Ellis Street. In January 2025, a SFPD officer visited the store and saw a gambling machine and evidence of a possible fencing operation. SFPD then executed a search warrant and seized six electronic gambling machines, $4,456 of cash, a payment ledger, foreign tobacco products, merchandise on display for sale with CVS price stickers, and 50.8 grams of methamphetamine located under a display shelf. The store also sold drug paraphernalia, including hundreds of glass pipes commonly used to smoke methamphetamine and crack cocaine, and small plastic baggies used to store narcotics. In April 2025, the City Attorney filed a lawsuit against the store for violating local and state laws, and the property owners evicted the store shortly after.
• US Smoke Shop—US Smoke Shop is a smoke shop located at 415 Ellis Street. SFPD officers executed a search warrant and seized five gambling machines, two pistol magazines, $17,269 in cash, a payment ledger, a digital scale, loose leaf cannabis, pre-rolled cannabis joints, cannabis vape cartridges, and illegal flavored tobacco products. In April 2025, the City Attorney filed a lawsuit against the store for violating local and state laws, and the litigation is ongoing.
• TL Market and Deli—The Tenderloin Market and Deli is a convenience store located at 200 Leavenworth Street. SFPD executed a search warrant at the store, finding significant evidence of criminal activity and seizing seven slot machines, a firearm with a loaded magazine, $6,153 in cash, and a money counting machine. The market also sold drug paraphernalia, including straight glass pipes and Brillo pads. In October 2024, the City Attorney filed a lawsuit against the store for violating local and state laws. Following lawsuit, the property owner initiated eviction proceedings against the store, which should conclude in the first half of 2026.

Additional enforcement efforts
In addition to the lawsuits filed, several convenience stores were evicted after the City Attorney’s Office simply contacted property owners about the illegal activity occurring at the businesses. These include IG Mini Mart at 512 Ellis Street, Fullmoon Gift & More Inc. at 258 Taylor Street, and Sing Sing Café at 309 Hyde Street.

The City Attorney’s Office encourages any consumers who may have relevant interactions with these convenience stores or other stores violating the nighttime safety ordinance to contact the Office through its consumer complaint web portal or hotline at (415) 554-3977.