One of UNDSCVD’s Top 3 Retailers Closes its Flagship Upper Fillmore Store

Four weeks after Mestiza Taqueria announces their closure, we are hit with the sad news that another prominent set of entrepreneurs Ron and Tricia Benitez in the UNDSCVRD network won’t be re-opening their doors after SIP is over. As second generation Filipino Americans, they represent a new generation of business owners blazing new frontiers. Tricia’s family once owned Uni-mart, a local market that is still a community anchor in SOMA Pilipinas. As time passed they chose to pursue their love of fashion and started Asmbly Hall, a boutique men’s, women’s, and kid’s apparel store that started nearly 10 years ago in the tony neighborhood of Pac Heights.

Their keen eye for what’s hot coupled with warm hospitality made them an instant hit. Going to Asmbly Hall was like walking into your cool cousin's living  [wo] man cave. Ron and Tricia always had a smart selection of fits for almost any occasion. Each piece had a story. Each visit into the store always brought a smile to your face because Harlow, their outgoing daughter, could warm the coldest of hearts.

In 2019 they opened their second store in another hot neighborhood, NoPA right on Divisadero. Ron and Tricia have the magic touch. They consistently were one of the top 3 grossing retail concepts at UNDSCVRD. Last fall, it was announced that their 3rd store would be an anchor resident in Republika scheduled to open in the Fall of 2020.

The future looked bright and then COVID-19 hit. Sales dropped 90% immediately. With jobs being lost left and right and the economy headed for a Great Depression, they chose to hunker down and focus on one store (NoPA / Divisadero) for the time being.

While saying goodbye to where it all began may be a bitter pill to swallow, it was the smart thing to do. The economic recovery won’t be easy. It’ll drag-on for a few years before it gets better. 

Ron is a thought leader in the retail industry. He teaches retail operations at the Art Academy and is a board member of Kultivate Labs. His choice to narrow down and conserve resources will be followed by more entrepreneurs in these uncertain times. Hold on to what you got, it’s a rough road ahead.

Written by Desi Danganan.