After 43 years in business, the Haight-Ashbury T-Shirt shop closed its doors in December 2020. Indeed, the number of boarded up stores on Haight is quite disheartening, but we are pleased to share that a new shop is about to bloom on this iconic corner called “Welcome Haight & Ashbury” and owner Robert Emmons plans to bring not only respect for the community itself but flowers, too — and much much more!
Haight Street Voice: You own the SF Mercantile on Haight at Cole?
Robert Emmons: Yes, where we focus on California and SF-themed items. Anything that’s more Haight-Ashbury counterculture, neighborhood specific, flowerchild — that kind of thing is all going to move over to here to Haight & Ashbury. We’ll have two very different assortments between the two locations.
HSV: And you’ll have flowers out front on the corner? Imagine that — flowers in the Haight!
RE: Right? When I think of hippies I think of how flowers were used as a symbol of passive-resistence and change.
HSV: Like that classic B&W photo of the guy sticking the flower down the barrel of a police gun?
RE: Yes, exactly! I love that image.
HSV: When does Haight & Ashbury open?
RE: Hopefully by June 1. Our mission in this space is we feel that this corner is really someting that’s owned by the whole neighborhood. It’s such an important corner of our neighborhood.
HSV: And the world, actually …
RE: Yeah! We want to act like a concierge for the neighborhood. When people come in and if they like a book, we’ll mention, “Hey! Booksmith’s down the street. You gotta check ‘em out.” Or “You like tie-dye? You can’t miss Love on Haight. It’s awesome!” We just want to be part of the community and have this space be benficial to everybody. I just love telling about all the great talent we have here.
HSV: Awesome! Thanks so much — Peace!
