Carnaval festivities bring welcome boost to Mission District businesses
SAN FRANCISCO -- Amid the bustle of Saturday's kickoff to the Carnaval festival, many small businesses in the Mission District were seeing a big boost in sales.
There was a constant sizzle on the grill at Filipino street food favorite Señor Sisig on Valencia Street Saturday.
Supervisor Jerry Cach wasn't able to take much of a break.
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"It's been really crazy, but it's kept us really busy," he said.
There was a constant line during the dinner rush after Saturday's Carnaval festivities wrapped up.
"A normal Saturday. It's usually steady but today was really hectic," Cach said.
The 45th annual festival and parade promises to bring plenty of dancers and performers, and colorful floats with multicultural themes to the Mission District.
"I'd say it's incredibly important. The amount of people it brings from around the city and around the Bay Area and beyond is incredible" said president of the Mission District Merchants Assocation Ryen Motzek. "It's a great representation of the Mission District, its diversity."
The festival happening in the heart of the Mission will feature a rich assortment of food, music, dance, art, and entertainment on multiple stages. For the first time, there will also be a skateboarding jam.
The Mission District Merchants Association says activating the main streets will help with some of the neighborhood's challenges.
"Really helps the cleanliness and safety aspect, because there's a cleaning crew, there's people out and about, and there's just this general sense of safety," said Motzek. "On some normal days and nights, it's a little challenging. A lot of businesses have had issues and some have shut down, unfortunately."
Señor Sisig is prepared for an influx of customers. Its most popular items include the signature burrito and the crunch-a-dilla.
"It brings a lot of foot traffic over in our neighborhood and having our customers helps out a lot of local businesses," said Cach. "So I honestly think it's a blessing."