assembly member david chiu and howard ngo, the owner of duc loi and anthony page an employee at duc loi and the assessor-recorder carmen chou and without further ado, mayor lee. [phra*-urt/] [ applause ] come on up, the school district and school board is here as well. come on up. all right. congratulations everyone, you now have a local grocery store! [ applause ] >> you know, i want to say thank you to you and the staff for working so hard with the supervisor's office and all of the neighborhoodss and with howard. let me say this, good things just don't happen. . all right? for this community a lot of good things never have happened, but when they

happen, it's because of good leadership, steady leadership, and i'm proud to have worked close, shoulder-to-shoulder with supervisor cohen, with her staff, because she has been passionate about getting -- passionate and patient. because we have had stores here before. we've talked about the dream of having people more healthy in this neighborhood. and we have never forgotten that. so kind of like what we're always doing in the bay view, it is new, but it's really fulfilling an old promise for people who have lived here for generations. promised that you will be part of a city and you'll be healthier and all have more housing and you'll have neighborhood grocery stores and, in fact, i kind of think that is why they asked me to come back here early. they wanted to put me right next to the vegetables -- something was talking to

anita too much, put meg putting me right next to the vegetables, with no candy or nothing, but vegetables. [laughter ] >> no soda - that is right, no soda. i'm excited for our neighborhood, i'm excited for san francisco. because everybody belongs and everybody needs to have a connection to healthy lifestyles. this is part of that promise. you are going to get better parks. you are going to get more housing. you are going to bet a lot of seniors taken care of with the dignity fund and you will get a lot of thing because you are part of the city of san francisco and i don't want people to say and feel that they feel isolated here. this 3rd street corridor is amazing. it is hot, it's really a great part of the city and we're going connect up even more when the central subway gets finished in a couple of years. it's exciting to be down

here and quite candidly it's probably the most affordable place in the city right now. so i want to say congratulations to all the neighborhoods advocates who worked tirelessly to say we're going to be patient. we're not just going to invite another liquor store or something like that. we're going to get the right kind of food, the right folks, the people who also say -- and by the way, opening up a business, you have 16 new san francisco jobs, 7 of which are filled by residents of this neighborhood. how about that? you [ applause ] . >> that a commitment. thanks to our workforce people thinking about that as well because we have to do all things right by this neighborhood. we can't make mistakes because mistakes have been made in past and we're always trying to recover from something. let's celebrate this as a good thing from the jobs to howard, the great owner, to the employees who are going to be here, to the fresh

vegetables, and the good, healthy life this represents. congratulations to everybody in the bayview, third on 3rd, that is why it's happening. thank you. [ applause ] >> thank you, mayor lee. there is no greater firster champion for any distribute in the city than your supervisor, supervisor malia cohen and for my part i'm going to be relieved now this is open, that to not be getting the call every day of the last month when is duc loi going to happen and i'm happy to say, supervisor, today. [ applause ] >> good morning everyone. >> good morning >> i think i just have one word -- finally! [laughter ] right? finally. and if you think about it, it's appropriate. here we are in the fall time, traditionally when farms begin to harvest. we planted the seeds years

ago, and now we are bearing the fruit of a grocery store, full service, right here in bayview-hunters point, finally. [ applause ] >> that is incredible. i want to acknowledge the bayview residents that have worked with me for the last three years on trying to find a grocery store, a provider to come in. thank you for being patient. thank you for being thoughtful in your feedback. and for those of you overzealous neighbors thanks for reaching out to other grocery stores when you didn't think i was doing enough but i'm here to say also this is really the beginning. this is beautiful. this is a beautiful jewel our community deserves. no other community in san francisco should go without options to healthy food. aim wrong? am i wrong? could you imagine, this community has been living

for years without a grocery store. let me tell you a story how i have come to know duc loi. three years ago when my staff and with my were brainstorm and drafting letters to send to different retailers across the united states, one of my staff members came up with the idea about going to visit duc loi. so one day after work, i just went simply into the store in the mission and walked around, up-and-down the aisles and i believe i bought in oxtails -- [laughter ]you remember that? salt and pepper and howard didn't know who i was at the time. amanda didn't know who i was at the time, but i interacted with both and i was in the store and amanda said do you need help? no, because at that point i knew that i found what i had come for. not only did i find great healthy food options at a great price, but a found a phenomenal family-run business that paid attention to customer service. so when you come into this

store, you will be greeted by howard, who is the owner and the operator. and his right-hand woman, amanda. up-and-down the aisles, they know the store like the back of their hand and that is a gift. we don't need a cold, corporate entity. we need someone to recognize the uniqueness and the beauty and the charm that is right here in the southeast of san francisco. there are many people that i want to thank today. todd, jokingly mentioned my harassing phone calls for about a year. but there are other members of his staff that i have harassed. i want to walk joakim torres [ applause ] and to represent a bayview resident and i think she got the brunt of my wrath. i spared you, mr. mayor. i just went straight to the staff. i didn't even bother you about this.

i didn't. i want to recognize michael, are you here from the produce market? [ applause ] . >> incredible, incredible -- he is out there in the back. i see your hand mike and to remember the neighborhood partners bayview heel zone or southeast food access? [ applause ] and just again in closing the community in general, the neighbors that i see from the various hoas and homeowners, people committed to make not only this corridor thrive, but the entire community. and remember, this is the fall season. and we are harvesting the seeds that we planted years ago. and i want to say thank you. [ applause ] x thank you supervisor. our next speaker knows a thing or two about small business as a small business owner himself and a member of the small business commissioner and former board president, i'm proud to

announce and welcome assembly member david chiu. [ applause ] >> good morning! do we have bayview in the house today? is the sun shining on the bayview today? are we believing today? i am so honored to be part of this conversation in part because this is personal. i think many of you know that i have in my hands one of the newest residents in the bayview, my son, who is ready for a game today, but is also ready for this grocery store to be opened. when my wife and i moved here, we experienced what we all read about, what we all know about, the reality of a food desert. of what it takes to have to plan for 45 minutes or an hour for one of us to take a trip halfway up the city to a safeway or trader joes to get fresh food. as the father of a newborn we know how important it is for our kids to have the freshest and healthiest food possible. so i want to just thank all

of you for being part of this long journey. when i was president of the san francisco board of supervisors i remember speaking to mayor lee's processor and supervisor cohen's press sore predecessor and thank you all for chasing 120 possible groceries before duc loi came here today. this is a long journey, but i know this is going to be an amazing spot of community. this is going to be my neighborhood grocery. i live six minutes away and i look forward to seeing many of you here. i tip my hat to howard and all the workers that are here and i look forward to all of the amazing food we're going eat. have a wonderful day and go giants! [ applause ] small business owners pour

their heart and soul into think business and no person i think exemplifies that better than howard, who this, as i understand, is a 25-year culmination of entrepreneurship to this business, howard ngo [ applause ] >> good morning everyone. thank you very much for coming by today. i am very honored. [ applause ] to see all of you here. thank you. as you all know, the community here and neighbors here have been waiting for this for the last three years. when i took over last september, the city supported us, the community supported us and the entire year for 12 months and finally today, i am so happy. we are done, and now we're going to open it up.

i'm so grateful, and we are so grateful to the city of san francisco especially mayor lee and his office. [ applause ] and supervisor cohen and all the staff and planning department for helping us, especially the community here. and we will work even harder to bring good food to our neighbors especially at a good price. how about that? [ applause ] i try so hard personally to bring coffee to serve the community, but now that we open might be two more weeks due to the construction. thank you very much for all of you toe. today. thank you all for being here. [ applause ] mayor lee and supervisor

cohen's charge to our department is not only to create good jobs, but make maug sure it's the residents of the community that get those jobs and i'm proud to invite up anthony page, who will speak to his role here and his new employment opportunity here at duc loi. [ applause ] >> how is everybody doing today? >> good ! i'm feeling good. i'm feeling excited for the grand opening here in the bayview district. i'm also a native of the bayview district and i grew up here right up the street. so once i heard about the grand opening i was now i can just walk to work or just get on the little train right there. it's good working for the store. with howard and his family, giving back to his family -- his family giving to me and helping me with a job and hiring me. i will do whatever i have to do to make sure our store

satisfies the customers in the bayview district community. come by, shop here, you know we're fun -- we talk. we get personal, too. i do, you know? [laughter ] >> if the line is long, i won't -- meet be another time. [laughter ]stuff has to be done, right, howard? [laughter ]. stuff has to be done. or i have to deal with him and i'm just excited as you can see i have a big smile and i hope everybody has a good day today and just enjoy your day. this meeting is reasonable for the grand opening, all the hard work, you know? this is a big accomplishment for them and the bayview district and now you don't have to go super far to get groceries, just come down the street and shop here and i look forward so seeing everybody and helping you before you walk out our doors.

have a good day! [ applause ] >> now our next speaker is perhaps the most important speaker of the entire lineup because the assessor-recorder is the one responsible for making sure she brings in all the money that we're able to invest in great businesses like duc loi and without greater ado our assessor-recorder carmen chiu. >> i really just have two points that i want to make. first i want to give a very, very big thanks to not only mayor lee and his staff through todd, but to supervisor cohen, having been a district supervisor in the past, there is no bigger difference than how hard your district supervisor advocates for you. we have been very fortunate in last month to have two really exciting opportunities that opened up in the bayview. not only this great super market, but a senior center that recently opened up and none of those opportunities this super market, nor the senior center would happen if you d