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Friday Slide Show: Gump's Returns
20 December 2019
Last December we were saddened to walk by Gump's on Post Street only to see closeout signs in the windows. The venerable San Francisco department store that opened its doors in 1861 had filed for bankruptcy.
But here we are a year later with our third slide show of Gump's Christmas ornaments. What happened?
The Chachas family of New York reopened Gump's on the north side of Post Street (where it had been for years) in a smaller but still elegant space, which in fact it occupied from 1909 to 1994.
John Chachas (who was on the board of the former Gump's) and his family became the sole owners after bankruptcy last year, buying the brand name and trademarks for $650,000. His daughter Ann and other family members are closely involved in the enterprise.
The idea is to run a popup storefront for four months through the end of the year. But if business is good, the store could remain open at the Post Street location.
"Times may have changed," the Gump's Web site admits, "but we still believe in the endearing charm of Gump's and its enduring commitment to quality."
Part of that charm has always been the people who work at Gump's. And many of them have returned to work the floor at the popup. "The devotion of the Gump's employees has been quite remarkable," Chachas said.
Chachas has scouted locations outside the city as alternatives if the current spot doesn't work out. But the Web site, at least, will stick around.
