Groceteria.com

I was just reading a 1972 Washington Post article on the much-discussed Safeway International, the company's "urban gourmet" experiment from the 1960s, and it mentioned two locations other than DC: one in Richmond (which has also been mentioned) and one (surprise) in San Francisco.

My guess is that this store was the current Safeway location on Jackson Street in the Financial District. The city directories merely list it as "Safeway" from the late 160s on. It's a small store at the base of a high-rise apartment building that operated under the name "Bon Appetit" through the mid-1990s, and was remodeled and enlraged seven or eight years ago. Based on when it opened (late 1960s), its odd size and location, etc., I'm pretty sure that was the genesis of this store. Anyone care to confirm?

IIRC, the Jackson Street store opened c 1965 as a Safeway. Then, much to the consternation of the residents who thought it would lead to higher prices, the store was rebranded 'Bon Appetit' sometime in the 1980s. I believe there were 2 of these pilot stores in the Bay Area, the other being in tony Tiburon, in Marin County. It was a marketing tie-in with Bon Appetit magazine, I think. The concept never really took off, and, after being enlarged and remodeled a few years ago, it once again became a Safeway. My company used to have offices on Davis Street and we used to go over there every day to pick up sandwiches or sushi. It's a great little store, second smallest in the chain after the Watergate store, I believe. I think the Tiburon store is now a Long's Drugs.

The 20th & S NW store in DC is smaller than the Watergate store.

There was also a Bon Appetit store located at 611 San Ramon Valley Blvd. in Danville,CA. The store opened in 1972 as a Safeway replacing an older gable store at 480 San Ramon Valley Blvd. The Bon Appetit closed in the late 1980's and the building became sub-divided for a Walgreens and an Ace Hardware. The Walgreens is still open, however the Ace Hardware closed in 2006 and was replaced by a Pet Food Express.

There was a Bon Apetit in Tiburon as well. The name was actually licensed from Bon Appetit magazine, and was introduced at the three stores in 1982, per a Progressive Grocer article. All had previously operated as Safeway stores, although I'm still willing to bet the San Francisco location was originally Safeway International.