History is written by the victors. What is deemed important is often dictated by those in power. There is a lot we know about San Francisco—but there is much more beyond those famous landmarks and neighborhoods.
This is where ephemera comes in. Antique throwaway items like restaurant matchbooks can rekindle the flame of long-forgotten businesses and their proprietors.
From the Outer Richmond and the Haight, these vintage objects shed a little light on the hidden side of San Francisco history.
(Courtesy of Etsy)
John's Italian Restaurant and Cocktail Bar at 1814 Clement Street
According to an ad in J. The Jewish News of Northern California, John’s Restaurant celebrated its grand opening in 1959. The fare was Italian food and pizza—11 varieties to be exact—with a specialty in cannelloni.
But before it was the site of John’s, 1814 Clement had several other iterations. Back in 1915 and 1916, it was the business of fruit-and-vegetable seller Louis Delfino, a vendor of Diamond Brand Hood River Apples. To distinguish itself from the city of Richmond, the Richmond District back then changed its name to Park Presidio, and saw growth as San Franciscans chose to start over there following the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.
Then, in 1922, the address was the home of Mrs. Fannie Adler, who made the pages of the San Francisco Call for taking in her Austrian nieces and nephews orphaned by World War I. She remained at the address until at least 1945, and was a manufacturer of butcher gowns, aprons, and refrigerating coats.
(Courtesy of Labor Clarion)
Fast forward to 1954 when, according to Organized Labor, the address was home to B & W Van and Storage Co. You could contact them by calling BAview 1-2061. A van and storage business probably thrived in the Richmond during the ‘50s, as there was an influx of people moving into the neighborhood, including a lot of Russian and Chinese residents, leading to what is now known as Little Russia, New Chinatown, and many Chinese businesses opening up on Clement Street.
By the beginning of 1972, John’s Restaurant had evolved into John’s of Pacifica, with the original 1814 Clement address, and another outpost in, well, Pacifica. At both locations, you could get a pie (pizza Napoletana, ground beef pizza, “John’s Special Baba,” and more) for only $1.35.
Most recently, John’s was Blue Fin Sushi and Lounge. It closed in early 2026.
(Courtesy of eBay)
Independent Mexico City Cafe at 1792 Haight Street
Another San Francisco address with a lengthy history is 1792 Haight Street. In the 1930s, it was home to the Independent Mexico City Cafe, which specialized in “genuine Mexican cooking,” including “homemade tamales.” It was not only a Mexican-themed eatery, but appeared also to have been owned by someone of Mexican heritage, P.A. Garcia.
The building on Haight Street first opened in 1900. At the time, the neighborhood was new, and made up of middle-class families. The following year, an ad appeared seeking a barber to work at the location. The address also appeared to have been a residence, since an elderly woman there was seeking housework employment in 1906. That same year, the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire happened; the Haight survived unaffected, becoming a new destination for many San Franciscans who had been displaced. By 1907, the barber business at 1792 Haight Street was attached to a name: Andy Graves.
Things changed a bit in 1914. While hair remained the focus at 1792 Haight, it was now Madame Moore at the helm, encouraging clients to save their “combings” (left-over hair from brushing) to make switches (basically, hairpieces). Golden Gate Copy Co. set up shop at the locale in 1915, run by F.E. Moore (likely a relative of the Madame), but sought employees to work from their own homes.
(Courtesy of SFNU)
After many years as the Independent Mexico City Cafe, the storefront became Holos Gallery, an art gallery focusing on holographic art which opened in 1979. During the first part of the ‘70s, the Haight saw increases in crime and decay after the Hippies left, but by 1979, things were looking up, with more businesses setting up shop. After it shut down in 1991, 1792 Haight Street had a really cool full-circle moment, opening as David Wilson’s Blade Runners Hair Studio. It was a mainstay in the Haight for almost three decades, with equally ever-present English bulldogs. A combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the landlord raising the rent caused Blade Runners to leave in 2020.
Half a decade later, 1792 Haight is Unlimited Biking, which provides bicycles for rent and tours of the city.
