Copyright hoodline
After seven decades of late-night apple fritters and glazed donuts served through a tiny storefront window, Bob's Donuts will close its original Polk Street location on November 23, marking the end of an era for one of San Francisco's most beloved 24-hour institutions. The closure comes after the Ahn family, who has owned the shop since 1977, could not reach an agreement with their landlord on a lease renewal. The family had been operating the original location at 1621 Polk Street since the 1950s, building it into a late-night landmark that served everyone from drag queens to beat cops, tourists to locals craving a post-bar sugar fix. An Immigrant Story of Perseverance The shop's history reads like a quintessential San Francisco immigrant success story. According to San Francisco Chronicle, the original Bob's was believed to have been started in 1953 by Robert N. Nolt, who owned several businesses along Polk Street including Bob's Diner. In the 1970s, Elinor Ahn, a Korean immigrant and single mother with limited English, purchased the shop with an unwavering dream of building a better life through hard work and perseverance. After Elinor's sudden passing in 2001, the business fell to her son Donald and his wife Aya, both in their early twenties and raising three children under five. By most measures, according to KTVU, Bob's was struggling at the time. But Aya, an immigrant from Japan, approached the shop with what the family describes as the spirit of "shokunin"—the Japanese devotion to one's craft and the pursuit of excellence not for praise, but for purpose. The Lease Dispute That Changed Everything The closure didn't happen overnight. General manager Rebekah Ahn, daughter of the current owners, revealed that lease negotiations with their landlord included a proposed 150% rent increase—an insurmountable hurdle for the family business. The dispute represents a broader challenge facing San Francisco's small businesses, particularly legacy establishments in neighborhoods experiencing commercial pressure. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who nominated Bob's for the city's Legacy Business Registry in April 2024, didn't mince words about the situation. "Bob's Donuts is exactly the kind of legacy small business that has not only defined the neighborhood character of Polk Gulch, but also represents what many small businesses citywide still struggle with: commercial landlords that don't recognize their inherent value and who don't want to offer fair leases," he said in a statement reported by KRON4. A New Chapter Just Down the Street Fortunately for Bob's devotees, the story doesn't end on November 23. The Ahn family opened a larger location at 1720 Polk Street in February 2025—less than 300 feet from the original shop. According to San Francisco Examiner, the new location offers expanded seating, a larger kitchen with additional fryers, and bigger storefront windows to display more donuts. The two locations operated simultaneously since February, giving the neighborhood the rare luxury of having two Bob's Donuts within a single block. The new location aims to restore the 24-hour operation that made the original such an iconic destination, though as of the soft opening it was operating from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. while working toward expanded hours. Part of a Broader San Francisco Trend Bob's closure fits into a troubling pattern of 24-hour businesses disappearing from San Francisco's landscape. The shop joins other late-night casualties, with 24 Hour Fitness locations ceasing their round-the-clock operations and numerous downtown businesses closing due to reduced foot traffic from the pandemic's lasting impact on office attendance. Even the name "24 Hour Fitness" became somewhat ironic when, according to SFist, the gym chain quietly dropped 24-hour operations at its San Francisco locations in 2024, leaving Bob's as one of the city's few remaining truly late-night operations—at least until November 23. More Than Just Donuts What set Bob's apart wasn't just the quality of its apple fritters (legendary) or its giant donut challenge (finish one in under three minutes and win a t-shirt). It was the community the Ahns built around the shop. In their Instagram announcement, the family noted how customers would stay late to keep Aya company during quiet overnight hours, friends who helped sweep the floor when things got busy, and neighbors like Bill who would run across the street to grab change when needed. "Bob's has always been more than just a donut shop," the family wrote. "It's a reflection of the incredible community around us." Aya Ahn emphasized this philosophy in statements to city officials: "This business is not just about making money. We're about taking care of each other, taking care of our customers, and contributing to the other Polk Street small businesses." The shop's cultural significance earned it official recognition when Bob's was added to San Francisco's Legacy Business Registry, with city staff noting the shop "has contributed to the history and identity of the Nob Hill neighborhood and San Francisco." Looking Forward While Honoring the Past The Ahn family now operates four Bob's Donuts locations: the new Polk Street shop, plus outposts at 601 Baker Street in San Francisco's NoPa neighborhood (which opened in 2019) and in Mill Valley (opened in 2022). Each location maintains the family's commitment to making donuts fresh from scratch throughout the day—a rarity in an era of chain donut shops and pre-made pastries. "Maintaining a location on the Polk corridor was vital because it allowed Bob's to continue serving the Nob Hill neighborhood, where we've built deep roots over the past 50 years," Rebekah Ahn told SFGATE. "Nob Hill has meant everything to us—it's where our family business grew and became a local staple thanks to the support of our loyal customers." For those wanting to say goodbye to the original location, it will remain open through November 23. And for those seeking their Bob's fix afterward, the new location stands ready just down the street—a bittersweet compromise, but a testament to the resilience that has defined this family business for nearly five decades of Ahn ownership and seven decades of donut-making on Polk Street.
