SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Pinkard has run Surfside Liquors at 950 Innes Ave. since 1974. In all that time, he says, nobody has ever robbed him, and he has never once had to call the police.
On Friday, Nov. 6, Hunters Point showed him why. Neighbors filled the sidewalk outside the store for “Bob’s Day,” a block party with barbecue, music and a line of people waiting to thank the man a lot of them call Uncle Bob. Half the block wore the same white T-shirt with his name across the chest: Bob. A father, friend, entrepreneur, community leader and all-around legend. Bay Area rapper Larry June came through to celebrate, too.
District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton presented Pinkard with the city’s Legacy Business award, an honor for businesses that have served their neighborhood for more than 30 years. Supervisor Walton called the store an anchor for the community.
More than a store
Anybody from the southeast side can tell you Surfside was never just a corner store. Pinkard sold fresh fruit and produce when the neighborhood had nowhere else to buy it, and about two decades ago he was named a community hero for bringing fresh food to an area the city had written off as a food desert. He served hot meals. He cashed checks for people the banks would not serve, and he let families run a tab when money was short.
“I’ve never seen nobody I didn’t love,” Pinkard said.
The celebration was organized by Shaquille Cooper, who grew up around the store and went on to launch his own clothing brand, B4L. Cooper said he started his business after watching how Pinkard ran his. “We’ve all been raised by Uncle Bob,” Cooper said.
A send-off for Supervisor Walton, too
The afternoon was also one of Supervisor Walton’s last big moments in the district he has represented since 2019. Supervisor Walton served as president of the Board of Supervisors and has spent his years in office fighting for the Bayview, Hunters Point and the city’s Black community. His term ends in January, when Supervisor-elect Theo Ellington takes the seat.
Supervisor Walton could have spent one of his final weeks in office anywhere. He spent it on Innes Avenue, putting an award in the hands of a man who has kept the lights on for his neighbors for half a century.
Pinkard says he is not going anywhere. He has no plans to retire.
Photo: Innes Avenue in Hunters Point, home of Surfside Liquors. Pi.1415926535 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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