Historic Preservation Commission adds three neighborhood businesses to Legacy Business Registry

The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously on Jan. 18 to add three neighborhood establishments — Tony Nick's Cafe, Peña Pachamama and La Mahore Bakery — to the city's Legacy Business Registry, a staff-led effort to recognize and protect long-running local businesses.

Staff told the commission that Tony Nick's (1534 Stockton Street) has operated for roughly 90 years and retains notable interior elements including a long neon blade sign and checkerboard tiles; Peña Pachamama (1630 Powell Street) was presented as a 24-year cultural venue and performance space with Bolivian and Latin American programming; and La Mahore Bakery (Mission) was described as an immigrant- and woman-owned bakery in operation since 1993. Planning staff recommended adding all three businesses to the registry and highlighted the risk of displacement if left unrecognized.

Owners and supporters spoke in favor during public comment. Sebastian Skalla, proprietor of Tony Nick's, described the cafe's continuous community role since the end of Prohibition and urged the commission to preserve its interior elements. A representative for Peña Pachamama recounted decades of cultural programming and said the business currently lacks a signed lease.

Commissioners praised the applications and the role of legacy registration in helping businesses secure leases and preserve community character. After brief deliberation the commission moved to approve staff recommendations for items 6a–c; the vote recorded by the chair was 7–0 in favor.

The Commission’s action places the three named businesses on the Legacy Business Registry, which staff said can support lease negotiations and provide recognition but does not itself change property ownership or zoning. The registry nomination packages will be retained by the Planning Department.